Lexmark International, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Michael Clark Campbell

Jeffery James Buchanan

James Daniel Anderson, Jr

Christopher Alan Adkins

David Emerson Greer

Johnnie A Coffey

Gina Marie Johns

Stephen Porter Bush

Charles Scott McDavid

John Yeung Conway

Timothy Lowell Strunk

Jason Todd Vanderpool

Peter Alden Bayerle

Donald Fred Croley

Benjamin Karnik Johnson

Christopher Elliot Lingle

Lane Thomas Butler

Adam Jude Ahne

Jerry Wayne Smith

Fangsheng Wu

Jeffrey H Paterra

Paul Wesley Etter

Christopher Patrick Murphy

James Adrian Riley

Thomas Eugene Pangburn

Kevin Dean Schoedinger

Randall David Mayo

Mark Joseph Edwards

Edmund Hulin James, Iii

John Philip Bolash

Thomas Jon Eade

Jay Scott Siekmann

Gregory Scott Woods

Mark Walter Fagan

Donald K Rex

David Kyle Murray

Brian Jones

Tuyen Van Pham

Michael Shayne Wilson

Mohsen Marefat

Cathy J Senft

Martin J Brown, Jr

Rita Greer

John L Breitenbach

Tu Phan

Rita Greer, Legal Representative

Brian T Jones

Mark W Fagan

A method and system for fusing toner to media sheets in an imaging device are disclosed. The system includes a fuser heater having a first heating element and a second heating element, the fuser heater providing heat to a fuser nip; and heat control circuitry coupled to the fuser heater for passing current through the first and second heating elements of the fuser heater to generate heat therefrom. The system further includes a controller coupled to the heat control circuitry, the controller controlling the heat control circuitry for passing current through the first heating element during a warm up operation and passing current through the second heating element during a fusing operation following the warm up operation, the fusing operation fusing toner to a sheet of media.

Circuit and method for a hybrid heater with dual function heating capability

A fuser heater member for an electrophotographic imaging device, including a heater member. According to an example embodiment, the heater member includes positive temperature coefficient (PTC) material disposed along a width of a fuser nip of the fuser assembly; first and second electrodes disposed along disposed surfaces of the PTC material; an intermediate layer disposed over the second electrode; and at least one resistive trace disposed along the intermediate layer along the width of the fuser nip. The heater member includes a plurality of wire segments coupled to the first and second electrodes and the resistive elements for use in generating heat from at least one of the PTC material and the at least one resistive trace during a fusing operation.

Hybrid heater with dual function heating capability

A fuser assembly, including a fuser roller receiving heat from a heating element and including a metal core, a heat insulation elastic layer disposed around the metal core, and a top release layer disposed over the heat insulation elastic layer. A backup belt assembly, coupled to the fuser roller, includes at least two nip forming rollers contacting an inner surface of an endless belt to form an elongated fusing nip along the fuser roller. A first nip forming roller engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an entrance of the elongated fusing nip and a second nip forming roller engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an exit of the elongated fusing nip, wherein a product of a Young's Modulus of the top release layer and a thickness thereof is between about 2,000 and about 20,000 N/m.

Fuser assembly having extended nip width

A fuser assembly which includes a heating member; a backup roll disposed proximate to the heating member; a heat transfer device selectively contacting the backup roll for transferring heat from the backup roll; and a positioning mechanism moving the heat transfer device between a first position in which the heat transfer device is engaged with the backup roll and a second position in which the heat transfer device is spaced apart from the backup roll. The positioning mechanism pivots the heat transfer device about a pivot axis when moving the heat transfer device and includes a pair of bell cranks to which the heat transfer device is coupled, a first coupling member coupled to one of the bell cranks and a second coupling member coupled to the first coupling member. Translation of the second coupling member causes the first coupling member to pivot which rotates the pair of bell cranks.

Heat transfer system for a fuser assembly

A fuser assembly for an imaging device which transfers heat from overheated portions of the fuser assembly to portions having lesser temperatures. The fuser assembly includes a heating member; a backup roll disposed proximate to the heating member for forming a fuser nip; a heat transfer device in contact with the backup roll such that rotation of the backup roll rotates the heat transfer device for transferring heat from one location to another location on the backup roll; and a positioning mechanism for moving the heat transfer device between a first position in which the heat transfer device is engaged with and contacts the backup roll, and a second position in which the heat transfer device is disengaged and spaced apart from the backup roll, the positioning mechanism pivots the heat transfer device about a pivot axis when moving between the first and second positions.

A fuser assembly for an electrophotographic imaging device which transfers heat from overheated portions of the fuser assembly to portions having lesser temperatures. The fuser assembly includes a heating member; a backup roll disposed proximate to the heating member so as to form a fuser nip therewith, wherein rotation of the backup roll causes the heating member to rotate; and a first roll in contact with one of the backup roll and the heating member such that rotation of the one of the backup roll and the heating member rotates the first roll, the first roll including a heat pipe disposed therein.

A backup belt assembly includes an endless belt, at least a pair of nip forming rollers contacting an inner surface of the endless belt and positioned relative to the fuser roller to provide pressure to a section of an outer surface of the fuser roller adjacent the endless belt so as to form an elongated fusing nip along the section. A first roller of the pair of nip forming rollers engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an entrance of the elongated fusing nip, while a second roller of the pair of nip forming rollers engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an exit of the elongated fusing nip. The first roller provides a lower amount of pressure to the fuser roller relative to the pressure provided by the second roller. A supporting roller may be disposed within the endless belt near the entrance of the elongated fusing nip for providing acceptable media entry geometry.

Backup belt assembly for a fusing system

A multi-color ink tank includes certain features that properly interface with features on a printhead and carrier support structure to operatively seat the ink tank in the carrier support structure in a sealed flow communicative relationship with the printhead. These interface features are spaced apart relative to one another at distances (or dimensions) that ensure the desired seating and sealing of the ink tank in the carrier support structure and thereby the reliable supply of ink for operation of the inkjet printing system.

Multi-color ink tank with features spaced by distances ensuring interface with printhead and carrier support structure

Narrow ink tank with serpentine air vent

Single reservoir tank with serpentine air vent

Tri-color tank with serpentine air vents

A method of generating an authentication code for a consumable includes assigning an identification number to the consumable; processing an input including at least the identification number, using a first algorithm, to generate a preliminary number different from the identification number; and compressing the preliminary number using a compression algorithm, different from the first algorithm, that utilizes the identification number to generate an authentication value for use in authenticating the consumable.

Method of authenticating a consumable

A method of authenticating a consumable used in an imaging device includes the steps of providing the consumable with a memory; monitoring usage of the consumable; determining whether the consumable has reached a usage threshold; and, if the consumable has reached the usage threshold, then performing the further steps of: renewing the consumable; generating an authentication code signifying the renewing of the consumable; and storing the authentication code in the memory.

A printhead body includes a floor having an interior side and an exterior side. A first set of body vias extend through the floor from the interior side to the exterior side. The first set of body vias is positioned to supply ink to a first micro-fluid ejection chip. A second set of body vias extend through the floor from the interior side to the exterior side. The second set of body vias is positioned to supply ink to a second micro-fluid ejection chip. A plurality of ink flow channels are formed on the interior side of the floor. Each individual ink flow channel of the plurality of ink flow channels is in fluid communication with a particular body via of the first set of body vias and is in fluid communication with a particular body via of the second set of body vias.

Printhead assembly having ink flow channels to accommodate offset chips

Ink tank with RFID sensor and serpentine vent

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Michael Clark Campbell