Eastman-kodak Company

Muhammad Aslam

Thomas J Farnand

Ernest J Tamary

Donald Saul Rimai

Kevin M Johnson

Alec N Mutz

Dinesh Tyagi

Lawrence P DeMejo

William J Staudenmayer

Robert David Bobo

Thomas W Mort

Carlton D Baxter

Jiann H Chen

Tsang J Chen

Hal E Wright

John P Swapceinski

John M McCabe

Lawrence Paul Demejo

Joseph F Laukaitis

Michael K Baskin

A method is provided for increasing the release temperature from the fuser in copying and printing processes comprising the steps of forming a toner layer on a receiver with an imagewise overlay toner on top and fixing the layers of toner by contact with a fuser.

Electrostatographic method using an overlay toner

A fuser member is provided comprising a support; a fluoroelastomer layer on said support comprising a fluoroelastomer consisting essentially of from 42 to 58 mole percent vinylidene fluoride, 26 to 44 mole percent tetrafluoroethylene, and 5 to 22 mole percent hexafluoropropylene.

Fuser member having fluoroelastomer layer

A dry toner image is fixed to a thermoplastic layer on a receiving sheet by pressing a ferrotyping web against the image in the presence of sufficient heat to soften the layer. A curl preventing layer opposite the thermoplastic layer does not offset on a backing roller or the like because it has a melting point that is high compared to the thermoplastic layer.

Toner fixing method and receiving sheet

A fuser includes both a fusing roller and a fusing belt, each separately engageable with a pressure member forming first and second nips for applying a finish to a toner image. The first nip between the fuser roller and the pressure member can provide a matte or textured finish to a print while the second nip between the belt and the pressure member provides a high gloss finish. The fusing roller engages the pressure member through an opening in the belt when the belt is stopped with the opening properly positioned. The fuser roller backs the belt when the belt is being used for fusing or finishing.

Variable gloss fuser

Heatset of a fusing roller in a fuser in which the rollers are not separated during standby is prevented by periodically rotating the rollers. To prevent a temperature surge caused by elimination of heat-absorbing sheets between the rollers during standby, the rollers are rotated at a reduced speed for a short time at the beginning of the standby period after a run. To also prevent temperature fluctuations due to the periodic rotation during standby, that rotation is controlled to a small amount to prevent the sensor from contacting an entirely new portion of the fusing roller surface with each periodic rotation.

Method of controlling fuser during standby

An image forming apparatus includes a source of at least one intermediate sheet which is preferably both thermally and electrically conductive. Toner images are transferred from one or more image members to the intermediate sheet under conditions of raised temperature and preferably with the assistance of an electric field. The toner image on the intermediate sheet is then overlaid with a receiving sheet and a combination of heat and pressure transfers and fuses the toner image to the receiving sheet in a single step, preferably while the sheets move at full machine speed. The sheets may then be slowed down or stopped, but are maintained together until cool at which point they are separated and the intermediate sheet fed back to the source of intermediate sheets. The image forming apparatus is particularly useful in creating multicolor toner images with small toners.

Image forming method and apparatus using an intermediate

To create an overcoat on a toner image, a clear heat softenable particulate material is applied to a fusing surface before the fusing surface contacts the toner image in a fusing nip. The particulate material softens in the fusing process and ends up as a clear overcoat for the toner image, protecting it from scratches, fingerprints, deglossing and/or softening from heat.

Method and apparatus for providing a toner image having an overcoat

A toner image carried by heat softenable layer on a receiving sheet is either fixed or texturized by a pair of pressure members. The pressure members include a fusing member and a pressure roller. To prevent hot offset of the leading portion of the heat softenable layer, a recess in the pressure roller receives the leading edge of the receiving sheet, thus reducing the pressure in the nip for the leading portion of the receiving sheet.

Toner image finishing apparatus

Small particle toner images carried on an image member are transferred to thermally conductive intermediate by heating the intermediate in the presence of an electrical field urging transfer. The intermediate is heated to a temperature sufficient to sinter the toner particles at least when they touch the intermediate and other toner particles, but insufficient to damage the image member or cause the toner to stick to the image member. The toner image is transferred from the intermediate to a receiving sheet, which step can include sufficient heat and pressure to fix the image to the receiving sheet.

Method and apparatus of transferring toner images made up of small dry

A toner image carrying thermoplastic layer on a receiving sheet is texturized from the back side of the sheet by positioning the sheet between a smooth hard surface and a texturizing surface with the texturizing surface contacting the back side. The thermoplastic layer is softened by heat and becomes texturized without embossing the back side. A curl preventing layer on the back side is not embossed because it has a melting point above the temperature of the process. A glossy-textured print can be produced this way. The process is especially useful in making multicolor prints of photographic quality.

Apparatus for texturizing toner image bearing receiving sheets

A toner image is carried on a receiving sheet which receiving sheet includes a heat softenable outer layer. The image is fixed or finished by being fed between a pair of pressure members. The pressure members either embed the toner in the layer or apply a gloss or texture to the heat softenable layer. To eliminate an image defect at the leading edge of the sheet, coating of the sheet with the heat softenable layer is terminated one-eighth of an inch prior to the edge of the sheet.

Method of treating toner image bearing receiving sheets

A toner image is fixed to a receiving sheet by the application of pressure and heat applied between first and second pressure members. To prevent blistering of finished receiving sheets, a substantial temperature gradient is maintained between the two members which heats the image side of the receiving sheet adequately for fixing without excessively heating the overall sheet. The second pressure member contacting the side of the sheet opposite from the image is actively cooled by an air cooling device or the like as controlled by a logic and control in response to the temperature of the second pressure member.

Toner image fixing method and device in which a pressure member is cooled

A toner image carried by a heat softenable layer of a receiving sheet is fixed by feeding it into a pressure nip between a pressure member and a ferrotyping belt. To preheat the heat softenable layer, it is urged against the belt by a pressure or squeegee roller which contacts the back of the receiving sheet and urges it into contact with the belt. The adhesive characteristics of the heat softenable layer when heated by the belt cause the receiving sheet to follow the belt from the squeegee roller into the pressure nip.

Method and apparatus for preheating and pressure-fixing a toner image

A toner image carried on a receiving sheet which receiving sheet includes a heat softenable outer layer is fixed or finished by being fed into a nip between a pair of pressure members. The pressure members either embed the toner in the layer or apply a gloss or texture to the heat softenable layer. To eliminate an image defect at the leading edge of the sheet, the pressure between the pressure members is applied by a means having two conditions, one in which said pressure is applied and a second in which it is relaxed. The sheet is sensed as it approaches the nip and the pressure applied just as or after the nip is reached by the leading edge of the sheet.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Muhammad Aslam