Lexmark International, Inc.

Peter E Wallin

Alexander D Meade

Donald Wayne Stafford

Martin Victor DiGirolamo

Peter W Bracken

Jeffery R Brener

Bradley Leonard Beach

Todd Lucas Janes

Jing X Sun

Douglas Campbell Hamilton

Terence E Franey

Pramod K Sharma

David Daniel Dreyfuss

Kathryn E Dowlen

Gerald G Leslie

Sam E Mullinix, Jr

Michael Craig Leemhuis

William Paul Cook

Ashok Murthy

Ronald Willard Baker

Alan Stirling Campbell

Philip Jerome Heink

Johnny Dale Massie, Ii

David Starling MacMillan

Steven L Applegate

Cyrus Bradford Clarke

Jean Marie Massie

Steven Wayne Parish

Kermit Arnold Meece

Mark Stephen Weisman, Jr

David Clay Blaine

Michael Wesley Baskette

Jeanne Marie Saldanha-Singh

Jeffrey Lynn Richie

William Shannon Spencer

George Nicholas Powers

Samuel Edward Mullinix, Jr

Christina Allison Cullins

William C Durbin

An improved printing apparatus and method for its use is provided for printing copy-resistant prismatic, duo-tone patterns as a background on print media. A user or systems administrator can create a copy-resistant background design and store it as a background data file for later use, either on his or her personal computer, or at a secure network server. An authorized user can then create user-defined foreground data to be printed along with the copy-resistant background data, in a single printing operation, using a single printer, and using 'blank' print media, such as standard 'plain' copy paper. Highly secure documents, such as cashier's checks, thus could be printed in a single print job, without having to purchase and securely store pre-printed check paper.

Color laser printer for printing prismatic duo-tone copy-resistant backgrounds

A method for associating a customer accessible supply item of a first type with an imaging apparatus includes communicating identification information between the customer accessible supply item of the first type and the imaging apparatus; and operationally locking the customer accessible supply item of the first type with only the imaging apparatus based on the identification information, to the exclusion of other imaging apparatuses and other customer accessible supply items of the first type.

Method for associating a customer accessible supply item with an imaging apparatus

An ink jet printer is provided comprising a housing, an ink jet printing apparatus and a coating apparatus. The ink jet printing apparatus is located within the housing and includes an ink jet printing device capable of ejecting ink droplets onto a first side of a printing substrate which moves through the housing along a printing substrate feed path. The coating apparatus is positioned along the printing substrate feed path and spaced from the printing device. The coating apparatus applies a substantially uniform layer of coating material onto at least a portion of the first side of the printing substrate.

Coating apparatus for use in an ink jet printer

A semiconductor developer roller having a conductive shaft and an outer member of caprolactone-ester-based polyurethane loaded with ferric chloride. The members have low environmental sensitivity and good electrical stability.

Caprolactone ester polyurethane developer roller

A release agent composition for use in an electrophotographic process is disclosed. This composition includes a specifically-defined heat-stable silicone oil-silicone wax random copolymer. The copolymer has a melting point such that it is liquid on the hot fuser roll, but solidifies at room temperature on the printed page. A random silicone copolymer, in the form of a paste or pliable caulk, which is useful for sealing leaks in toner cartridges is also disclosed. Finally, the method for preparing these copolymers is disclosed.

Release agent for electrophotographic process

A flexible doctor blade having a radiused surface or nub for contacting a developer roll. The blade geometry which includes a cantilevered support for the nub provides lower torque in the developer, compliance to compensate for developer imperfections, and less tendency for streaking due to toner packing and filming.

Flexible doctor blade having a radiused contact surface

A release agent composition for use in an electrophotographic process is disclosed. This composition includes a specifically-defined heat-stable silicone oil-silicone wax copolymer. The copolymer has a melting point such that it is liquid on the hot fuser roll, but solidifies at room temperature on the printed page. A random silicone copolymer, in the form of a paste or pliable caulk, which is useful for sealing leaks in toner cartridges is also disclosed. Finally, the method for preparing these copolymers is disclosed.

A conductive paste comprising a flexible elastomer, an electrically conductive particulate material and, optionally, a solvent is disclosed. This paste is used for providing flexible, electrically conductive bonding between materials. In a preferred embodiment, conductive paste of the present invention is used in a flexible doctor blade to provide bonding and an electrical connection between the support member and the portion of the blade which contacts the developer roller.

Electrical contact material for flexible doctor blade

The conductive film (3) of a compliant doctor blade has dispersed particles of molybdenum disulfide, as well as dispersed particles of grit and conductive filler. The molybdenum disulfide eliminates filming of toner. The molybdenum disulfide may be a surface powder since the anti-film action occurs at the pre-nip and therefore is not lost by the molybdenum disulfide wearing away at the nip.

Compliant doctor blade surface having molybdenum disulfide

A compliant doctor blade having excellent toner metering capabilities is disclosed. The doctor blade includes a compliant laminate (3) having a resin film backing layer and carrying a binder which contains abrasive particles, such as silicon carbide particles, and a conducting means. In a preferred embodiment the conducting means are conductive carbon black particles which are contained in the resin binder which also includes the abrasive silicon carbide. The compliant laminate is supported on an aluminum bar (1). The bar has fastened to its bottom face a compliant foam layer (2) which includes on its bottom face a shim (10) having a stiffness of from about 0.5 to about 31.0 inches of deflection/inch of length/pounds of force. The laminate is bent under the foam layer and shim where it contacts the developer roller (6). The conductive layer remains conductive as it wears during use. In addition, this doctor blade minimizes toner buildup in the prenip area and provides effective and uniform metering of the toner on the developer roller.

Compliant doctor blade

Doctor blade 1 has a compliant lamination (4) having a resin film backing layer (4a) and conductive layer (4b) abrasive silicon carbide particles and conductive carbon black in a resin binder. The compliant lamination is supported on an aluminum bar 2, having a downwardly extending wall 2b. In use lamination 2 is bent under the support bar at the end of the wall, a direct turn which avoids a wedge configuration where the lamination contacts the developer roller (7). The conductive layer remains conductive as it wears during use and the avoidance of the wedge prevents a build-up of toner at the nip during use, both of which make possible long effective useful operation of this doctor blade.

Extended life compliant doctor blade with conductive abrasive member

A polyol polyester and hexamethylene diisocyanate in a fluid mixture with white pigment, silicon glycol surfactant and thinner are pad printed on keyboard key to print characters and symbols which require no protective overcoat.

Printing light indicia on keyboard keys

In imaging apparatus (1) a contact heater (9) applies heat and electrical bias to a toner image on an intermediate accumulator (5). The bias is of polarity to repel the toner. The toner image is coalesced such that additional heating may be reduced or eliminated at the transfer to paper (7) by pressure roller (11).

Color imaging with contact transfer heating station

A printer or other imaging apparatus (1) in which two or more images in registration are transferred from a photoconductor (3) to an intermediate transfer drum (5). The transfer drum has very stable resistivity, which is achieved by the body of the drum being cesium iodide filled polyurethane.

High stability color imaging by transfer roller

An electrophotographic printer employs a intermediate transfer roller of a copolymer of urethane and silicone carbinol. Transfer efficiency is excellent over a period normally coinciding with the full life of a printer or other imaging device.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Peter E Wallin