Lexmark International, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

James Philip Harden

Kerry Leland Embry

Bartley Charles Gould, Ii

Paul Douglas Horrall

Larry Steven Foster

Benjamin Alan Askren

James A Craft

Bernard L Wilzbach

Frank Marion Hughes

David Michael Cseledy

Randall Steven Gall

Steven Robert Komplin

Michael Craig Leemhuis

William Paul Cook

John Wayne Gassett

Donn Duane Bryant

Darin Michael Gettelfinger

Ronald Willard Baker

Philip Jerome Heink

David Amos Ward

Christopher Gregory Chee

James J Molloy

Mark Alan Wahl

Gina Marie Johns

Stephen Todd Olson

Jean Marie Massie

Alexander D Meade

Alexander Johannes Geyling

Fred Young Brandon

Royden Thomas Kern

Bryan Michael Blair

Sean David Smith

Robert Leonard Burdick

Kermit Arnold Meece

Michael David Lattuca

Stacy Marie Pargett

Iraj D Shakib

William Scott Klein

William L Dollenmayer

Earl G Edwards

Armando V Flores

Charles S Aldrich

Billy Joe Jones

Daniel L Huber

Michael Wesley Baskette

Selahattin A Okcuoglu

Darren Wayne Tosh

Troy A Lee

Andrew Charles Hogan

Brian David Smith

Terry Lee King

William Claiborne Ryle

Robert Allen Samples

Michael Scott Leiter

Hishikesh Pramod Gogate

John D Butler

Praful M Shah

William S Rousey

Earl D Ward Ii

Bill C Chappel

Thomas D Souder

Charles Robert Dunn, Ii

Preston O Robards, Jr

An image transfer assembly includes a transfer belt formed as an endless loop around a backup roll and a tension roll. A tensioning arm is movably mounted on a side of a frame and operatively connects to an axial end of the tension roll such that the arm and axial end of the tension roll moves together relative to the frame. A translating member slidably mounted about the axial end of the tension roll is movable in an axial direction. A cam disposed below the translating member has an angled cam surface in contact with a portion of the translating member such that as the translating member moves in the axial direction, the translating member moves along the angled cam surface changing an elevation of the arm and axial end of the tension roll and changing an amount of skew of the tension roll relative to the frame.

Skew adjustment mechanism for a roller of an intermediate transfer member

An ITM module for an imaging device, including a frame; a tension roll disposed in the frame; an ITM belt rotatably coupled to the frame and formed as an endless loop around rolls of the ITM module, including the tension roll; and an adjustment mechanism coupled to an end portion of the frame and to the tension roll, the adjustment mechanism setting an amount of skew of the tension roll relative to the frame. The amount of skew is in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to a process direction of the ITM belt. The adjustment mechanism includes a cam member rotatably coupled to the frame and having a cam surface coupled a first end portion of the tension roll such that rotating the first cam member sets an amount of elevation of the first end portion of the tension roll relative to the frame.

Positioning mechanism for a roller of an intermediate transfer member module

An image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a housing having an access door manually movable between a closed position and an open position. A carriage is mounted on an inner portion of the access door. A first roll is rotatably mounted to the carriage and forms a nip with a second member positioned in the interior of the housing when the access door is closed. The first roll is spaced away from the second member when the access door is open. The carriage is free to move relative to the access door and is biased away from the access door toward the second member. A clamping assembly is configured to clamp the first roll against the second member to form the nip as the access door is closed and unclamp the first roll from the second member as the access door is opened.

Transfer roll assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device

The present application is directed to toner transfer systems with an adjustable transfer belt. The transfer belt transfers toner images from a first location to a second location. Two or more support rolls position and drive the transfer belt. A tensioning device is operatively connected to one of the support rolls. The tensioning device moves the support roll between a first position that places a first amount of tension on the belt, and a second position that places a lesser second amount of tension on the belt. The support roll is in the first position during image formation, and in the second position during non-image formation such as storage and shipping.

Toner transfer systems with an adjustable transfer belt for use in an image forming device

An apparatus and method for ink-jet printing onto an intermediate drum in a helical pattern while correcting for image skew and aliasing. A plurality of ink-jet print heads place an image on an intermediate drum, impervious to ink, in a helical patter. To compensate for helical printing, the image is altered by nozzle placement and image manipulation to correct for skewing errors, and thereafter, the nozzle timing is adjusted to correct for aliasing. The plurality of print heads move parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum while the drum is simultaneously rotating, causing the image to be placed in a helical pattern. Once the entire image is placed on the drum, paper is rolled against the drum under pressure and the image is transferred thereto.

Apparatus and method for ink-jet printing onto an intermediate drum in a helical pattern

A cleaning apparatus in a waste toner removal system of an image forming device includes a waste toner moving device that is movably mounted in a waste toner housing. The housing has an inlet where waste toner enters the housing. The toner moving device is movable between a first position and a second position to displace accumulated toner within the housing. The toner moving device is spring-biased toward the first position. A rotating actuator displaces the toner moving device from the first position to the second position to move the toner in the housing away from the inlet. The toner moving device is also self-cleaning via vibration and impact movements.

Methods and devices for moving waste toner within an image forming device

A coating apparatus for applying a coating liquid to a printing substrate. The coating apparatus has a rotatable first roll and a rotatable second roll, each having a surface energy. The second roll is positioned adjacent to the first roll and defines with the first roll a first nip through which the printing substrate passes A metering device is provided for applying a substantially uniform layer of coating liquid onto the second roll. The second roll in turn transfers the coating liquid to the printing substrate. The surface energy of the second roll is greater than the surface energy of the coating liquid. In one embodiment, the metering device includes a rotatable third roll and a doctor blade contacting the third roll, each having a surface energy. The surface energy of at least a portion of either or both the third roll and doctor blade is less than the surface energy of the coating liquid.

System and method of coating print media in an inkjet printer

The invention relates to an ink cartridge body which is removably mountable in a printer carriage area of an ink jet printer and an alignment and latching mechanism for the ink cartridge body. The printer carriage area includes at least first and second spaced-apart elongate guide rails and the ink cartridge body includes a printhead and at least two bearing points at predetermined locations on the ink cartridge body, each of the bearing points disposed on the cartridge body for separately engaging at least one of the elongate guide rails for aligning and maintaining the printhead in a predetermined orientation relative to the print media in the printer. The invention substantially reduces the number of parts and tolerances thereof required for aligning a printhead relative to a print media by directly aligning the cartridge body rather than the carrier in the carriage area of the printer.

Ink cartridge body and carrier assembly

Substantially uniform spacing between a printhead and a platen throughout a print zone associated with said printhead in an ink jet printer is provided. The ink jet printer includes a printer frame, and the platen is slideably coupled to the printer frame. A first carrier guide rod is attached to the printer frame, and a second carrier guide rod has at least one end adjustably attached to the printer frame. A position of the second carrier guide rod is adjusted to provide parallelism between the first carrier guide rod and the second carrier guide rod. The platen is biased to a position relative to a position of at least one of the first carrier guide rod and the second carrier guide rod.

Frame system for an ink jet printer

A printer (1) and portable stations (2 and 3) when located side-by-side form a guide (1a, 2a, and 3a) for paper sheets sent out by printer 1. The paper is moved upward into U-shaped guide 1a by pinch rollers (6 and 7) and then moved laterally by pinch rollers (8 and 9) in guide 1a. Similar rollers are in guides 2a and 3a to direct the paper to the selected station and then downward.

Printer with distribution stations having U-shaped sheet guide

An electrophotographic printer (11) having a base (13) and a top (12), the top (12) being pivotable about an axis (23) between a closed position and an open position. The printer (11) receives a supply cartridge (14) on a shelf (22) which is pivotable about the same axis (23) as the top (12) of the printer (11). A counterbalance spring (34) helps to support the shelf (22) and the cartridge (14) below the top (12) of the printer (11) and above the printer base (13) when the top (12) of the printer (11) is in its open position. When the top (12) of the printer (11) is closed, the cartridge (14) is urged into a position adjacent the printer base (13) and locked into an operative position.

Electrophotographic printer and cartridge arrangement

A printing machine includes a charge neutralizing system for neutralizing static charge on sheets of material fed therethrough. The charge neutralizing system includes a grounded wire (47) located in proximity to the sheets for neutralizing charge on the sheets. The charge neutralizing system further includes a grounded conductive brush (81) mounted on a sheet deflector (61) so that one end of the brush (77) contacts sheets as they traverse a first sheet feed path (71) and the other end of the brush (79) contacts sheets are they are routed by the deflector to a second alternative sheet feed path (63). The grounded brush (81) further serves to decelerate the sheet as it exits the printing machine over the second sheet feed path (63).

Printing machine with charge neutralizing system

When cover (8) of the laser printer (3) is closed, absence of the replaceable cartridge (15) or the shroud assembly (9) will activate both an electrical and a mechanical interlock. A moveable switch actuator (16) on the shroud assembly will be absent if the assembly is omitted and will not find a guide ramp (46) if the cartridge is absent, thereby assuring power to the light source remains off. A shutter (13) also blocks the normal light path and is moved aside by a pin (14) on the cartridge, and therefore blocks light unless a cartridge is installed. Walls (31) on the cartridge surround the shutter during normal use to form a protective light baffle. The laser printhead (2) is fixed within the shroud so that separation requires a necessary electrical cable (72, 74) to be disconnected.

Laser printer with light-exposure prevention

Print wheel cartridge

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

James Philip Harden