Xerox Corporation

Rabin Moser

Paul Michael Fromm

Anthony Salvatore Condello

Alvin D Kromm, Jr

Edul N Dalal

Arnold W Henry

Robert J Gruber

Robert P Siegel

Che C Chow

Robert M Jacobs

Ernest A Weiler

James E Mathers

Santokh Singh Badesha

David H Pan

Thomas Acquaviva

George J Heeks

Samuel Kaplan

John S Berkes

Mark Steven Amico

Clifford O Eddy

Alan Richard Kuntz

Donald M Bott

Louis D Fratangelo

Michael A Malachowski

Robert S Karz

Paul A Garsin

James A Lentz

John G Ruhland

David Battat

Derek E Vaughan

Dennis P Gerbasi

John R Field

Paul D DePalma

Edward C Hanslik

David J Fraser

Yu-Hsing Chin

Efficient and uniform heating of a thick transfuse member, wherein the transfuse member is constructed in the form of a transfuse belt that is subject to heating at both front and rear surfaces. An elongated cavity is defined by a portion of the path of the transfuse belt about a plurality of guide rollers. Front surface heating is accomplished by use of a heated roller and rear surface heating is accomplished by use of a heat source situated within the cavity. The majority of the cavity is enclosed by the transfuse member and the guide rollers. Substantially all of the output of the heat source is efficiently transferred to the transfuse member and little or none of the heat produced by the heat source is lost to other components or structures.

Efficient heating of intermediate transfuse member

A contact belt fusing apparatus is provided for reducing sheet edge wear defects in fused copies. The fusing apparatus includes an endless fusing belt having an external fusing surface defining a path of movement and a plurality of support rollers for supporting and moving the endless fusing belt along the path of movement. The endless fusing belt as supported has a first fusing position aligned on the plurality of support rollers at a first location, and at least a second fusing position aligned on the plurality of support rollers at a second location that is spaced axially from the first location thereon. The fusing apparatus also includes heating member for heating the external fusing surface of the endless fusing belt, and a pressure roller forming a fusing nip with the external fusing surface of the endless fusing belt for contacting and moving toner image carrying sheets therethrough, the toner image carrying sheets having edges that induce wear on the external fusing surface of the endless fusing belt. Importantly, the fusing apparatus includes a belt moving mechanism for controllably moving the endless fusing belt axially, relative to the plurality of rollers, from the first fusing position to the at least second fusing position, so as to reduce sheet edge wear on the external fusing surface of the endless fusing belt.

Electrostatographic reproduction machine having a fusing belt position changing mechanism

An electrostatographic reproduction machine is provided for reliably producing high quality toner particle images of original images on sheet substrates. The reproduction machine includes (i) a movable image bearing member mounted drivably to a frame and having an image bearing surface defining a path of movement thereof; (ii) electrostatographic imaging elements mounted at various distributed locations along the path of movement for forming toner particle images of original images on the image bearing surface; (iii) a transfer assembly for transferring the toner particle images onto sheet substrates; (iv) a controller for controlling the forming and transfer of toner particle images at a machine front end speed of N copies per minute; and (v) a plurality of M fusing assemblies for applying heat and pressure to toner particle images on sheet substrates so as to fuse and permanently fix such toner images onto the sheet substrates, each fusing assembly of the plurality of M fusing assemblies having at least two different copies per minute fusing speeds including a minimum speed of N/M copies per minute, thereby allowing for increasing image quality, and insuring machine reliability and productivity.

Electrostatographic reproduction machine including a plurality of

A temperature droop compensated NFFR fuser having a preheater structure which conveys the substrate carrying toner images past a radiant heat contained therein and then into the nip of a pair of pressure engaged fuser rollers that form the NFFR fuser. One of the fuser rollers is heated by an internal heater which is supplied a constant level of power which generally maintains the temperature of the heated roller to a temperature sufficient to fuse the toner images on the substrate. The preheater structure warms the substrate carrying toner images prior to entry into the nip of the fuser rollers to compensate for the temporary temperature droop of the fuser rollers that is encountered when the fuser moves from a standby mode to an operating mode. The combination of pre-warmed substrate and the temperature to which the heated fuser roller droops is sufficient to completely fuse the toner images on the substrate. With time in the operating mode, the fuser rollers recover from droop and the radiant heat source in the preheater structure is turned off.

Droop compensated fuser

A heat and pressure fuser and a Release Agent Management (RAM) system therefor. A dual function RAM system is provided. The dual function RAM system supplies functional release agent material having a relatively high concentration of functional chains (in the order of 0.05 to 0.4 mol %) to an elastomeric fuser member as well as release agent material having low funtionality or no functionality. The elastomeric fuser member may contain metal oxide particles. The low functionality release agent is relatively non-reactive. Depending on whether the elastomeric member contains the metal oxide particles, the functional chains of the high concentration release agent material which are periodically supplied to the fuser roll surface either attach to the metal particles exposed at the surface of the fuser roll by chemical bonds or to the elastomeric material itself. The non-reactive chains adhere to the functional chains by much weaker physical (such as van der Waals) chains. The periodic application of the high concentration release agent material includes application for a relatively short duration at machine startup as well as periodically thereafter as needed. Application of the release agent is effected using an elongated web impregnated with alternate bands or areas of silicone oil containing high and low functional chains.

Dual levels of functional and non-reactive release agents for fusers

A paper conditioner re-moisturizes paper immediately following fusing to restore paper moisture equilibrium and reduce curl. The paper conditioner uses moisturizing rollers with a textured elastomeric surface that prevents bead buildup of water at a nip formed between the moisturizing rollers and allows the rollers to conform to the surface texture of a sheet of paper passing therethrough.

Textured rollers for paper conditioning

A combination belt and roll fuser has a pair of pressure engageable rolls with a belt looped or wrapped around one of the pressure engageable rolls such that the belt is sandwiched therebetween. The belt is deformed due to the force exerted by the pressure rolls such that it forms a single fusing nip. Substrates carrying toner images pass through the single fusing nip with the toner images contacting the outer surface of the belt. An internally heated, thermally conductive roll contacts a portion of the belt externally at a pre-nip location for elevating its temperature. The pressure engageable roll about which the belt is entrained is internally heated during warm-up for minimizing droop. This belt and roll fuser configuration exhibits the characteristics of a Nip Forming Fuser Roll (NFFR) fuser.

Externally heated NFFR fuser

A heat and pressure fuser and Release Agent Management (RAM) systems therefor. The RAM system deposits release agent material on toner images on a substrate such as plain paper. The RAM system includes a rigid metering roll and a pressure roll supported for pressure engagement to form a nip through which a substrate carrying the toner images passes with the toner images contacting the metering roll. Release agent material is applied to the metering roll from a supply with subsequent transfer primarily to the toner images on the substrate.

Release agent applied to fuser roll via paper

A Nip Forming Fuser Roll (NFFR) fuser. The fuser is constructed to be self-stripping, that is, the roll contacted by the substrate carrying the toner images is fabricated from a relatively thick elastomeric material which under pressure exerted through contact of the nip forming members is sufficiently strained as the substrate passes in and out of the nip that the fuser roll is self-stripping. An external source of energy in addition to an internal source is used for elevating the surface temperature of the fuser roll member contacted by the toner image carrying substrate. A shield is provided for precluding contact of the external heat source by the substrate in the event of a misstrip. The shield which is fabricated from an infrared radiation transmissive polymer material is supported in intimate contact with the heated fuser member to minimize the presence of oxygen for minimizing the possibility of substrate combustion.

Paper fire Preventer

A NFFR is disclosed which does not exhibit the phenomena of droop which can occur when the fuser switches from a standby to a run mode of operation. The elimination of droop is effected using an external heat source which together with an internal source of heat supplies heat to the surface of the heated fuser member to maintain its surface temperature at a preset standby value until such time as the fuser roll core reaches a temperature level sufficient to maintain the heated fuser member surface at a substantially constant temperature during standby and run modes of operation.

Non-drooping NFFR fuser

A RAM system including a metering roll and a pair of metering blades, is positioned in contact with a metering roll at a location intermediate, a nip formed through pressure contact of the metering roll with a donor roll, and a supply of release agent material such that as the metering roll is rotated in the imaging process direction release agent material is metered onto the metering roll and contaminants are prevented from getting deposited on the fuser roll. A second metering blade contacts the metering roll at a location that is intermediate the aforementioned nip and the supply of release agent such that when the metering roll is rotated in the direction opposite to the process direction excess release agent material and/or contaminants are prevented from being deposited on the fuser roll.

RAM system including a bidirectional metering member and a dual purpose

A heat and pressure fuser and Release Agent Management (RAM) systems therefor. Dual RAM systems are provided. A first RAM system supplies functional release agent material having a relatively high concentration of functional chains (.about.O.05 to 0.3 mol %) to an elastomeric fuser member prior to a second RAM system which supplies release agent material having low functionally or no functionality. The elastomeric fuser member may contain metal oxide particles. The low functionality release agent is relatively non-reactive. Depending on whether the elastomeric member contains the metal oxide particles, the functional chains of the high concentration release agent material which are periodically supplied to the fuser roll surface either attach to the metal particles exposed at the surface of the fuser roll by chemical bonds or to the elastomeric material itself. The non-reactive chains adhere to the functional chains by much weaker physical (such as van der Waals) chains. The periodic application of the high concentration release agent material includes application for a relatively short duration at machine startup as well as periodically thereafter as needed.

Dual oil release agent management system

A NFFR is disclosed which enables a NFFR fuser designed for one operating speed to be operated at a substantially greater speed while maintaining good wear and image gloss characteristics. A heated fuser roll member has a relatively thin outer layer which exhibits good wear and image gloss characteristics. The heated fuser roll member further includes an under layer contacting the outer layer which under layer is made thermally conductive. A third, thermally conductive layer is adhered to a conductive core and supports the under layer. The NFFR constructed according to the forgoing allows operation at a reduced set point temperature of 30.degree. to 40.degree. F. or in the alternative allowing for operation at a higher throughput speed at the higher set point temperature in lieu of operating at the lower set point temperature.

Thermally conductive viton for reducing operating temperature of NFFR

A combination dual hard roll and dual elastomeric belt fuser. A pair of hard, heated fuser rolls having elastomeric belts entrained thereabout are supported such that segments of the belts are sandwiched in a nip area therebetween. The belt segments are sufficiently thick to provide belt conformability resulting in high quality fused images. One of the belts is partially wrapped about one of the rigid rolls to form an extended heating zone and a combination heat and pressure zone through which substrates carrying toner images are moved.

Heat and pressure fuser utilizing rigid rolls and belts to form an

A hard, long wearing, thermally conductive fuser member comprising a base member and a surface layer wherein said surface layer includes a fluoroelastomer and an alumina filler having an average particle size of from about 0.5 to about 15 micrometers, said alumina being present in an amount to provide a thermal conductivity of at least about 0.24 watts/meter .degree.Kelvin in said surface layer.

Growing community of inventors

Victor, NY, United States of America

Rabin Moser