Xerox Corporation

Richard A Lux

Debbie S Wickham

William H Wayman

James J Spence

Michael John Martin

Carl F Oresick

Daniel J Dobranski

John C Prusinowski

James M Hoffman, Jr

Methods and systems are presented for detecting partial electrical discharges in a printing machine and for determining the source of the discharge events by detecting radio frequency signals using an antenna located near high voltage components of the printing system and determining whether a partial electrical discharge has occurred based on the detected signals. One or more of the high voltage components are then selectively enabled alone or in groups to isolate the source of the partial electrical discharge to expedite identification of suspect components and facilitate repair and system maintenance.

Partial electrical discharge system and method

A hybrid printing system including (a) a machine frame; (b) a multi-color image producing module mounted within the machine frame and including color image output terminals and an endless intermediate transfer member for receiving color images from the color image output terminals to form a multi-color image; (c) a separate black image producing module mounted within the machine frame spaced from the multi-color image producing module and including a black image output terminal; and (d) a print media transport/transfer module mounted within the machine frame for receiving and moving image receiving print media through the machine frame, the print media transport/transfer module including a repositionable electrostatic transport/transfer member having multi-positions including (i) a first position forming a first image transfer nip with the endless intermediate transfer member, and (ii) a second position forming a second image transfer nip with the black image output terminal.

Hybrid printing system

An improved method and apparatus for predicting the end of life of a photoreceptor, first records sampled data, then processes the data in order to interpolate the photoreceptor's end of life. Increased prediction accuracy is realized since both global photoreceptor information concerning a population of photoreceptors as well as information directed to a specific photoreceptor operating under particular environmental conditions are taken into account. This information is used not only to predict photoreceptor end of life but to make adjustments in the printing machine to correct xerographic degradations. In one embodiment, the information is used to direct an embedded end of life predictions system for notifying service at a remote site of photoreceptor problems in the printing machine in such a manner that it is transparent to a user of the printing machine. An alternative embodiment of the invention provides real time feedback to a service requests for the condition of a photoreceptor within a printing machine.

Photoreceptor end of life predictor

An apparatus and method for maintaining a constant voltage potential on a photoconductive member within an electrophotographic printing system comprises and utilizes, respectively, a charging device, a voltage monitor and a controller. The charging device produces a voltage potential on a photoconductive member within the electrophotographic printing system. The voltage monitor measures the voltage on the photoconductive member and generates a voltage measured signal. The controller, responsive to the voltage measure signal, stores a target voltage value and computes the difference of the measured voltage signal and the target voltage value to obtain a voltage error for a prior print job. The controller computes a predicted control signal for the corresponding cycle of the next successive print job as a function of the voltage error and regulates the charging device for the corresponding cycle of the next successive print job as a function of the predicted control signal.

Apparatus and method for correcting the voltage on a photoconductive

An apparatus for controlling the concentration of toner within a developer material of carrier and toner. The apparatus having a control means for generating a toner addition signal indicative of the amount of toner to be added to the developer material. The control means including the ability to measure the concentration of toner within the developer material during at least a first period and a second period subsequent to the first period. The control means also determining a first concentration error as a function of the deviation between the toner concentration measured during the first period and a reference toner concentration and a second concentration error as a function of the deviation between the toner concentration measured during the second period and the reference toner concentration. Subsequently, the control means generates the toner addition signal as a function of the first and second concentration error values. The apparatus also includes means, responsive to the toner addition signal, for regulating the addition of toner to said developer material.

Toner maintenance subsystem for a printing machine

An apparatus which develops a latent image with marking particles. The marking particles are transported through a path in which the marking particles rotate and translate in the portion of the path remote from the latent image and rotate in the portion of the path adjacent the latent image. In this way, the latent image attracts a portion of the marking particles to form a particle image and the marking particles translate from a receiving region to a discharge region.

Compact development system

An apparatus which controls air flowing into and out of a chamber in a housing to minimize the escape of particles therefrom.

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Webster, NY, United States of America

Richard A Lux