Lexmark International, Inc.

Other

Michael David Maul

Edward Alan Rush

Joshua Carl Poterjoy

Brian Lester Boettcher

Jennifer Marie Murphy

Paul Douglas Horrall

James Douglas Gilmore

Jeffrey Alan Abler

Jerry Wayne Smith

Jichang Cao

Mark William Amann

Donn Duane Bryant

Alexander Johannes Geyling

Alexander D Meade

Gregory Daniel Creteau

Scott Shiaoshin Wu

Geoffrey Kirk Carlson

Ahren Michael Hoy

Liqun Larry Wang

Matthew Lee Rogers

Gary Allen Denton

Keith Bryan Hardin

David Anthony Schneider

Harald Portig

Keith Seaman

Jason Lee Rowe

Niko Jay Murrell

Philip Jerome Heink

Kerry Leland Embry

John Parker Richey

Hrishikesh Pramod Gogate

John William Kietzman

Scott Richard Castle

Mark Duane Foster

Ganesh Vinayak Phatak

Mark Stephen Underwood

John Thomas Fessler

Brian Lee Hawes

Raymond Jay Barry

Tom E Stickler

Edward Lawrence Kiely

Mark Doerre

Bryan Michael Blair

Robert Leonard Burdick

Delbert Lester Elliott

Stacy Marie Pargett

Stephen Francis DeFosse

Katherine Marie Gilliam

Courtney Harrison Soale

Michael Brian Bacelieri

Matthew Christopher Coriale

Robert Dan Bennett, Iii

Elliott Vincent Jernigan

Dominique Renee Rowe

James Allen Lokovich

Matthew Lowell McKay

Joseph Kamal Yackzan

Katherine Mary Mulloy

Trey Dustin Gilliam

David William Shuman

Kurt Matthew Korfhage

Miranda Elizabeth Oaks

Robert Christopher Sbert

Jennifer Sauer

Steven R Rehmel

Alexander Douglas Meade

A cleaner assembly according to one embodiment includes a cleaner blade that extends upward in a cantilevered manner and that includes a cleaning edge for contacting a surface to remove toner from the surface. A waste toner sump is positioned adjacent to a rear side of the cleaner blade for storing toner removed from the surface by the cleaner blade. A film seal extends in a cantilevered manner toward the rear side of the cleaner blade and contacts the rear side of the cleaner blade along a longitudinal length of the cleaner blade. A foam seal is positioned between the rear side of the cleaner blade and the wall below the contact between the rear side of the cleaner blade and the film seal. The foam seal extends along the longitudinal length of the cleaner blade.

Cleaner blade sealing in an electrophotographic image forming device

An imaging unit for an electrophotographic image forming device having positional control features for aligning the imaging unit in a supporting frame in the image forming device. The positional control features include on each end wall, first and second bullet noses and a stop arm positioned between the two bullet noses. The first and second bullet noses engage support or datum surfaces provided in corresponding openings in the frame. The stop arm receives a biasing force that rotates the imaging unit into its final operating position. A latching assembly is provided on one end wall to prevent the imaging unit from ejecting from the frame.

Positional control features for an imaging unit in an electrophotographic image forming device

A replaceable unit for an image forming device having features for aligning the replaceable unit when installed in the image forming device and to ensure alignment between the replaceable unit and a detachable unit attachable to the replaceable unit. End walls support a photoconductive drum and have a first bullet nose, second bullet nose and stop arm used for alignment of the replaceable unit in a frame of the image forming device. Support members are on a top surface of the bottom plate with a top planar surface of one of the support members forming a rotational stop and a datum surface for the detachable unit when attached. A mounting channel in one end wall provides a second datum surface for the detachable unit and a mounting channel in the other provides a deskewing plug to adjust axial alignment between the photoconductive drum and a roll in the detachable unit.

Positional control features between replaceable units of an electrophotographic image forming device

A deskewing plug and assembly mountable in a frame having a first and a second shaft forming a nip therebetween with the second shaft rotatably mounted in a pair of opposed channels and biased toward the first shaft for adjusting the axial alignment of the shafts. The deskewing plug has a generally cylindrical body having first portion, a second portion and a tab portion. The second portion has a circumferential camming surface cooperatively engageable with the second shaft. Rotation of the plug and camming surface adjusts the axial alignment of the second shaft. The tab portion radially extends from the first portion and has radially extending ridges frictionally engageable with a wall of the opening in the frame to prevent rotation of the deskewing plug after adjustment. A cap may be provided to cover and frictionally engage the tab with the cap being fastenable to the frame.

Roll deskewing device for an electrophotographic image forming device

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a photoconductive drum rotatably mounted thereon. The photoconductive drum has a rotational axis. A guide channel on an exterior of the housing extends parallel to the rotational axis of the photoconductive drum and is positioned to guide insertion of the housing into the image forming device. A positioning stop on the housing is movable between a latching position and an unlatching position. In the latching position the positioning stop obstructs at least a portion of the guide channel to limit the travel of the replaceable unit in the image forming device parallel to the rotational axis of the photoconductive drum. A release handle on the housing is operatively connected to the positioning stop to move the positioning stop from the latching position of the positioning stop to the unlatching position of the positioning stop.

Handle and positioning stop assembly for a replaceable unit of an electrophotographic image forming device

An apparatus for shipping a device containing a circuit, including a bag sized for holding the device; and an antenna connected to the bag, the antenna having a first end for coupling to the circuit of the device when the device is in the bag so as to allow for radio frequency (RF) communication with the device while the device is in the bag. Separation of the device from the bag causes the antenna to be disconnected from the circuit of the device.

System and method for communicating with an unpowered device

A developer unit for a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for storing a developer mix that includes toner and magnetic carrier beads. An axial sealing rib projects from an inner side of the housing toward the outer surface of a sleeve of a magnetic roll. The axial sealing rib extends along an axial length of the sleeve. A distal end of the axial sealing rib is positioned in close proximity to and spaced from the outer surface of the sleeve. The axial sealing rib is positioned to impede the flow of developer mix in the reservoir in a direction counter to an operative rotational direction of the sleeve.

Sealing ribs for a developer unit of a dual component development electrophotographic image forming device

A replaceable unit for an image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a drive coupler accessible on an exterior portion of a body of the replaceable unit. The drive coupler includes an axial locking member that prevents the drive coupler of the replaceable unit from axially disengaging from a corresponding drive coupler of the image forming device. The drive coupler of the replaceable unit includes an axial opening that permits the drive coupler of the replaceable unit to axially disengage from the corresponding drive coupler of the image forming device when the corresponding drive coupler of the image forming device is rotated relative to the drive coupler of the replaceable unit from its operative engagement with the drive coupler of the replaceable unit in a direction opposite an operative rotational direction of the drive coupler of the replaceable unit.

Replaceable unit for an image forming device having a drive coupler that includes a locking member

An assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a charge roll and a bracket that extends along an axial length of the charge roll. First and second bearing retainers are positioned on a first axial end and a second axial end of the bracket, respectively. First and second bearings are pivotally mounted to the first and second bearing retainers, respectively. Each of the first and second bearings has a charge roll opening that supports a respective axial end of a shaft of the charge roll. First and second biasing members act on the first and second bearings, respectively. The first and second biasing members bias the charge roll toward an operative position for charging a photoconductive drum. A direction of force from the first biasing member on the first bearing and from the second biasing member on the second bearing is toward the bracket.

Charge roll mounting assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device

An image-forming device includes a belt based fuser for fixing an image to a media substrate. The fuser includes a heater having a base component with at least one heating element disposed thereon. The heater further includes a covering layer covering the at least one heating element providing a substantially even surface to abut a belt. Unevenness, which may be present on the substantially even surface, has a height, defined by a base and a peak, of less than about 10 &#x3bc;m. A process for producing the heater is also disclosed. The process includes disposing one or more heating elements on a base component of the heater, covering the heating elements of the fuser heater with a covering layer and providing a substantially even outer surface to abut a fuser belt.

Flat heater for electrophotographic belt fusing systems, and methods of making same

An image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a drive coupler positioned to provide rotational force to a corresponding drive coupler of a replaceable unit when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. The image forming device is configured to rotate the drive coupler of the image forming device in an operative rotational direction of the drive coupler of the replaceable unit until the drive coupler of the image forming device locks with the drive coupler of the replaceable unit upon receiving a lock command and to rotate the drive coupler of the image forming device in a direction opposite the operative rotational direction of the drive coupler of the replaceable unit until the drive coupler of the image forming device unlocks from the drive coupler of the replaceable unit upon receiving an unlock command.

Methods and systems for locking a replaceable unit in an image forming device

A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device according to one embodiment includes a stationary pressure member having an elongated body with an outer surface. The pressure member is substantially transparent and/or substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough. An endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration is rotatably positioned about the pressure member. The pressure member is positioned around a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt. A backup roll opposes the fusing belt. The pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt.

Fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device to maintain a high fuser belt temperature

A toner image transfer apparatus in a printer is provided. The toner image transfer apparatus comprises a transfer belt structure, a rotatable transfer rod and a transfer roll retraction mechanism. The transfer belt structure comprises a driven toner image transfer belt and a rotatable backup roll engaging an inner surface of the transfer belt. The rotatable transfer roll is adapted to define a nip with the belt and backup roll. The transfer roll retraction mechanism comprises motion transfer structure coupled to the transfer roll and drive apparatus associated with the motion transfer structure.

Retraction mechanism for a toner image transfer apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Michael David Maul