Eastman-kodak Company

John Giannetti

Jerry F Sleve

Jerome F Sleve

Giovanni B Caiazza

Robert H Shea

Terry Nate Morganti

Brian R LaBudde

Timothy H Kelley

Robert L Couture

A fuser entrance guide in an electrophotographic apparatus, which supports a sheet of copy medium as it enters the fuser section. The guide has a curved base plate that has vacuum ports both at the edges and across the central area thereof. The ports in the central area are arranged in rows with the exits of all ports in a respective row being fluidly connected by a groove formed in the lower surface of the base plate. The recessed area of the grooves reduce the total contact area of the sheet thereby reducing the drag forces on the sheet but, at the same time, increasing the holding force of the vacuum on the sheet.

Vacuum assisted fuser entrance guide for an electrophotographic machine

A method and apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a vacuum-assisted, fuser entrance guide in a marking engine by varying the vacuum on the guide as a sheet of marking medium moves thereacross wherein a low vacuum is applied on the guide while the sheet of marking medium is being transported across the guide solely by the vacuum transport and is then increased once the lead edge of the sheet enters the nip between the fuser rollers and the sheet becomes driven by the more powerful force of the fuser rollers. The higher vacuum provides a greater attraction force on the sheet, which, in turn, prevents the trail edge of the sheet from sagging or drooping from the guide's surface.

Fuser entry guide with variable vacuum for a marking engine

A means and a method for increasing the efficiency of a vacuum-assisted, fuser entrance guide in an electrophotographic apparatus by blocking and deflecting air currents away the sheet of copy medium as the sheet moves from a vacuum transport towards the entrance guide. A baffle is positioned in the gap between the vacuum transport and the fuser entrance guide that form the travel path for the sheet through the apparatus. The baffle has a deflecting surface that extends substantially across the gap, which diverts the air currents away from the sheet.

Air baffle for paper travel path within an electrophotographic machine

A scuff separating device capable of feeding difficult to separate sheets from the outside of a stack includes a feed belt or roller for contacting the outside sheet and feeding it off the stack. A retard roller is supported by a support arm pivoted about a pivot downstream, and rests on the feed belt or roller and prevents double feeds. A brake on the retard roller prevents rotation when more than one sheet is in the nip but permits rotation when one or no sheets are in the nip.

Scuff sheet separating device

A duplex document handler includes a supply tray on one side of a stationary exposure position, a simplex exit tray on the opposite side of the exposure position from the supply tray and a duplex exit tray above the supply tray. A turnover drum receives sheets from the supply tray and guides them past an exposure station and to the simplex exit tray or past the exposure station and through an inverting path to a reversing location, back to the exposure station and then back through the reversing location to the duplex exit tray.

Duplex document handler

In a document handling device two drive rollers are located on opposite sides of an exposure position. A drum is urged against the rollers and guides document sheets through the exposure position. Because the drum is not radially constrained except for the drive rollers, it is inexpensive to mount and manufacture.

Document sheet support mechanism

A scuff separating device capable of feeding document sheets from the bottom of a stack includes a feed belt below and contacting the bottom of the stack. A retard roller rests on the belt and prevents double feeds. The retard roller and belt both have high coefficients of friction. A brake on the retard roller prevents rotation when more than one sheet is in the nip but permits rotation when one or no sheets are in the nip.

Bottom scuff sheet separating device

A sheet separating device for a stack of sheets having feed and retard means forming a nip includes an insert held against the free end of the stack. The insert is moved into contact with the retard means to release its force on the last sheet, facilitating feeding of the last sheet.

Growing community of inventors

Penfield, NY, United States of America

John Giannetti