Lexmark International, Inc.

Lenmark International, Inc.

Larry Steven Foster

David Erwin Rennick

Benjamin Alan Askren

Paul Douglas Horrall

Jeffrey Lawrence Tonges

Harald Portig

Edward Lynn Triplett

Daniel Lee Carter

William Paul Cook

Johnnie A Coffey

Brian Reed Spencer

Brian Allen Blair

Donn Duane Bryant

James Philip Harden

Richard Gordon Boyatt, Iii

Robert Galon Newman

Darren Wayne Tosh

John Randolph McIntyre

Michael Hayes Wilson

Jason Lee Rowe

Niko Jay Murrell

Edward Lawrence Kiely

Tom E Stickler

Robert Leonard Burdick

Frank Marion Hughes

David Michael Cseledy

Gary Michael Tylicki

Richard Alden Ramsdell

Lowell Thomas Siders

Michael Craig Leemhuis

Benjamin Keith Newman

John Patrick Spicer

David Anthony Schneider

Earl Dawson Ward, Ii

Darin Michael Gettelfinger

Ronald Willard Baker

Kerry Leland Embry

David Amos Ward

Steven Alan Curry

Christopher Gregory Chee

Derek Masami Inouye

Jeffrey Alan Abler

Steven Wayne Parish

Stanley Dyer

Danny Wayne Peters

Robert Reed Booth

Kermit Arnold Meece

Michael David Lattuca

Gregory Daniel Creteau

John Edward Borsuk

William Scott Klein

John Anthony Schmidt

Lenci Robert Kappes

Robert Flynt Strean

Krikor Yosmali

Reginald Keith Bethel

Robert Michael Meadows

Ryan David Brockman

Randall Steven Gall

Charles Jerome Cheek

Robert Allen Samples

Travis Alan Riggs

Phill Douglas Cole

Patrick Wayne Carr, Jr

Christopher Lee Baker

Brian Patrick Weaver

Brian David Smith

Michael Scott Leiter

Hnshikesh Pramod Gogate

David Erwin Rannick

Bill C Chappel

The present application is directed to methods and devices for moving a cartridge between engaged and disengaged positions in an image forming device. The image forming device may include a bias control arm movable between first and second positions. When the bias control arm is in one of the first and second positions, a biasing force on the cartridge is reduced and the cartridge moves to the disengaged position. When the bias control arm is in the other of the first and second positions, a biasing force on the cartridge is increased and the cartridge is moved to the engaged position. In one embodiment, the bias control arm moves in a first direction, and the cartridge moves in a second direction different than the first direction.

Devices and methods for retracting a cartridge in an image forming device

A fuser module of an image forming device including a pivot able end cap and a movable entry guide attached therein. The movable entry guide moves according to the pivoting end cap to ensure reduced positional variability within the fuser module. The pivoting end cap also has a wheel to axle ratio of about 18:1 to ensure reduced force variability within the fuser module.

Pivoting end cap for a fuser module of an image forming device

An Oldham coupler assembly capable of transferring rotary power between two shafts in a developer unit of an image forming apparatus that includes an input plate and an output plate made of metal and a star plate made in plastic mechanically coupled and positioned in between the input plate and the output plate. A spline component made of metal is rigidly and integrally attached to the input plate, the spline component including a tubular spline portion that includes a plurality of wear strips made of plastic, the output plate having a plastic material coated along a portion of an outside diameter of the output plate. The input and output plates further include a plurality of openings to receive a plurality of wheels and pins. This structure allows a sufficiently stiff drive system to substantially eliminate fine line jitter by raising the natural frequency of the drive system.

Metal and plastic Oldham coupler with added retraction spline and plastic over molded features

A fuser has a heater housing extending through an endless belt with end caps on the housing adjacent to opposite lateral sides of the belt. The end caps have inner flanges spaced radially outward from a center portion and radially inward from the opposite marginal side edge portions of the belt so as to define clearance therebetween. Protuberances on the inner flanges of the end caps project toward opposite marginal edge portions of the belt and are circumferentially spaced apart to reduce belt skew relative to the end caps by either decreasing the surface area of contact of the inner flanges with the opposite marginal side edge portions of the belt to reduced surface areas of contact of protuberances therewith or decreasing the radial height of the clearance between the inner flanges and opposite side edge portions of the belt to the reduced radial height between the latter and the protuberances.

Fuser with end caps having protuberances for reducing belt skew

A fuser assembly includes a translatable heater member and a rotatable backup member mounted against the translatable heater member. The translatable heater member includes a heater housing extending through end frames disposed at the ends of the fuser assembly. A biasing member is positioned adjacent and parallel to the translatable heater member. A support structure is positioned at each end of the biasing member for supporting the biasing member. The support structure includes bell crank members that are engaged with the ends of the biasing member. The biasing member applies force on the heater housing through the bell crank members to bias the translatable heater member against the rotatable backup member.

Fuser assembly including a single biasing member

A media picking mechanism includes a pair of transmission shafts rotating in opposite directions. A housing is mounted around the pair of transmission shafts such that the first transmission shaft and the second transmission shaft are positioned substantially equidistant from a centerline of the housing. During a media picking operation, the rotation of the first transmission shaft of the pair of transmission shafts provides a first moment to the housing and rotation of a second transmission shaft of the pair of transmission shafts provides a second moment to the housing, which is equal and opposite to the first moment such that a net moment on the housing is near zero minimizing twisting of the housing. The two transmission shafts rotating in opposite directions, also results in substantially equal normal force to be applied by the first and second pick tires on the media.

Dual shaft media picking mechanism

Devices and methods for retracting a cartridge in an image forming devices

A composite torque transfer body and spline assembly includes a torque transfer component made of a first material and having a central body portion and a peripheral torque transfer portion integrally attached to and extending about the central body portion, a spline component made of a second material different from and having stiffness greater than that of the first material of the torque transfer component and also having an elongated tubular spline portion and a collar portion integrally attached to and extending about and radially outward from an end of the spline portion, and a plurality of elements on the central body portion of the torque transfer component and the collar portion of the spline component providing separate press-fitting and securing of the components to one another such that the components are mated and rotatable together about a central axis.

Composite torque transfer body and spline assembly to reduce jitter in an image forming device

A color electrophotographic printing machine has a drive system which includes a first, second and third motor-and-gear-train configurations mounted on a frame and coupled to first, second and third combinations of multiple color developer drive assemblies, multiple color photoconductive drum drive assemblies, a black developer drive assembly and a black photoconductive drum drive assembly. The first and second configurations are operable at first and second motor gear mesh frequencies and the third configuration is operable at a motor gear mesh frequency that can be substantially the same as one of the first and second motor gear mesh frequencies. The first combination includes yellow, cyan and magenta color developer drive assemblies, the second includes yellow and cyan color photoconductive drum drive assemblies, and the third includes a magenta color photoconductive drum drive assembly with the black developer drive assemblies and black photoconductive drum drive assemblies.

Drive system with multiple motor-and-gear-train configurations for jitter and noise reduction and color developer preservation

The present application is directed to systems and methods to control access to an interior of an image forming device. The image forming device may include a body with a door that is movable between open and closed positions. In the open position, access is gained to an interior of the body. A controller controls a latch through a motor arrangement to lock and unlock the door. A user interface may be positioned on an exterior of the body to allow a user to enter commands to lock and unlock the door. Additional elements may also be included within the interior of the image forming device and operated with the motor arrangement.

Systems and methods to control access to an interior of an image forming device

A fuser assembly includes first and second fuser structures, drive apparatus and nip engagement and release apparatus. The nip engagement and release apparatus includes nip-loading structure, a bias spring for engaging the nip-loading structure, a nip release cam for engaging the bias spring, a swing arm assembly and nip release structure. The nip engagement and release apparatus is adapted to cause a fuser nip to release during a reverse operation except when performing a duplex operation.

Fuser assembly including a nip release bias spring

A method and device for controlling toner transfer during the formation of a toner image within an image forming device is described herein. One exemplary image forming device includes a toner reservoir that stores toner of a first color, a developer member that receives toner from the toner reservoir, a photoconductive member proximate the developer member that receives toner from the developer member, and a driver. While rotating the photoconductive member, the driver selectively rotates the developer member based on a color content of the image. For example, the driver does not rotate the developer member while rotating the photoconductive member when the toner image being formed lacks the first color. Alternatively, the driver lows the rotational speed of the developer member while rotating the photoconductive member when the toner image being formed lacks the first color.

Methods and devices for selectively driving developer members within an image forming device

The present application is directed to methods for transitioning between color printing and black-only printing in an image forming device. A cartridge is moved between a first position in which color printing may occur and a second position in which black-only printing may occur. In the first position, a color developer unit may be in contact with a color photoconductor unit. The color developer unit may be spaced from the color photoconductor unit in the second position. During the transition, a voltage supplied to the cartridge and a speed of a drive motor driving the cartridge may be adjusted.

Methods to control transitions between color printing and black-only printing in an image forming device

Image transfer quality in an electrophotographic image forming device is improved by preconditioning a media sheet prior to transferring a toner image thereto at an image transfer station. The media sheet is preconditioned by applying a static charge to it. In a color DTM type device, the charge reduces the transfer voltages required at downstream image transfer stations to account for charge accumulated on the media sheet as a result of the image transfer process at upstream image transfer stations. The charge may be applied to the media sheet at a media sheet preconditioning element positioned upstream of an image transfer station. Alternatively, an initial charge may be applied to the media sheet at an image transfer station, without transferring a toner image to the sheet, and returning the sheet via a duplex path to positioned upstream of an image transfer station prior to an image transfer operation.

Preconditioning media sheets to reduce transfer voltage

The present application includes embodiments of a connector in an image forming device that establishes an electrical connection with a cartridge. The connector may include an electrical contact that is able to rotate in a first direction when in contact with the cartridge during a first amount insertion of the cartridge into the image forming device. The electrical contact may be adapted to stop rotating after the cartridge is inserted the first amount. As a result, the electrical connector may slide across the surface of the cartridge during additional insertion. The sliding motion may scrape off an oxidation or contamination layer thus providing a reliable electrical contact between the connector and the cartridge.

Electrical connector for an image forming device

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Larry Steven Foster