Lexmark International, Inc.

Larry Earl Stahlman

Douglas Campbell Hamilton

Jerry Wayne Smith

Kiyoshi Mizushima

Makoto Aoki

Hisakazu Hujimoto

Larry Christopher Coleman

Johnny Ray Sears

Russell Edward Lucas

Andrew Charles Hogan

Jason Kyle Romain

Vencil D Engle

Casey Thomas Wilson

The present invention relates to an article, system and method for thermally conditioning an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus may incorporate a heating device and a component that includes a lubricant. The component including the lubricant may be preheated before movement and then rotated at reduced speeds prior to a printing operation. This may occur during an image forming apparatus cold start or power saver mode.

Thermally conditioned image forming apparatus

A method for forming a ceramic laminate ceramic laminate from first and second sheets of ceramic material, the sheets having a first and a second surface, wherein the first ceramic material has a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the second ceramic material and the outer layers comprises ceramic materials having substantially the same thermal properties, comprising (a) heating the first and the second sheets of ceramic material; (b) stacking the first and the second sheets of ceramic material wherein the second surfaces are opposed to one another to provide stacked sheets; and (c) pressing the stacked sheets and forming the ceramic laminate.

Method for forming a ceramic laminate

An apparatus and method are provided for the reduction of wrinkles formed in sheets of paper media which may contain various levels of absorbed moisture across the surface and which are processed through a fuser section of a printing or copying device. Protruding features may be provided laterally spaced apart by a desired paper width at the fuser nip to create a pressure contact area which constrains the outer longitudinal edges of the sheet of paper as it enters the nip.

Method of preventing media wrinkling

A large area heater used, for example, in a laser printer belt fuser or as cooking surface, has an alumina substrate in which two bowed parts of alumina ceramic having opposed concave regions are formed together as a laminate. Electrical resistors are deposited on the laminate. The alumina laminate provides excellent resistance to uneven heating or other thermal stress. Alumina ceramic is readily shaped during manufacture and manufacturing costs and yield are good. A wide variety of large area heaters can usefully employ the laminate.

Large area alumina ceramic heater

A low-profile keyboard (5) each switch (3) having a dished keybutton (3) held upward by a rubber dome (49) and having ribs (55) which depress extension (43 and 31) which carry electrical traces (45 and 33) to activate the switch. The assembly is mounted on post (15). A lower recess (21) permits excess travel to a quiet stop. The rubber sheet (47) provides spill resistance.

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Versailles, KY, United States of America

Larry Earl Stahlman