Eastman-kodak Company

Robert David Bobo

Muhammed Aslam

Socrates Hryhorenko

Sylvain L Ndebi

Dinesh Tyagi

David Francis Cahill

Muhammad Aslam

Jerry Eugene Livadas

Mark H Allen

Eric C Stelter

James Douglas Shifley

Mark Cameron Zaretsky

Arun Chowdry

Fangsheng Wu

Dennis R Kamp

Andrew Ciaschi

James H Hurst

Wilbur Charles Kasiske, Jr

Sylvain L Nbedi

A fuser apparatus includes first and second rollers in nip relation to transport a receiver member therebetween. A stripping mechanism a skive assembly having an elongated, thin, flexible skive finger, wherein a tip of the skive finger is beveled forming a sharp edge along an upper surface of the skive finger. At least one raised bump protrudes from the lower surface of the skive finger, spaced apart from a tip of the skive finger. A mounting mechanism positions the skive finger in operative relation to the first roller with the at least one raised bump contacting the surface of the first roller at a contact point such that the sharp edge along the first surface of the skive finger is spaced apart from the surface of the first roller by a distance of between 50 and 120 microns.

User stripping mechanism with protrusion

A fuser apparatus includes first and second rollers in nip relation to transport a receiver member therebetween. A stripping mechanism a skive assembly having an elongated, thin, flexible skive finger, wherein a tip of the skive finger is beveled with first and second bevel surfaces with respective sweep angles forming a sharp edge along an upper surface of the skive finger. A mounting mechanism positions the skive finger in operative relation to the first roller with a bottom surface of the skive finger contacting the surface of the first roller at a contact point spaced apart from the tip of the skive finger such that the sharp edge along the first surface of the skive finger is spaced apart from the surface of the first roller by a distance of between 50 and 120 microns.

Fuser stripping mechanism with beveled tip

A method for creating a scratch-off document having hidden information, the method includes providing a substrate; depositing a first layer of first toner particles on the substrate, wherein the first layer includes at least two thicknesses in which one region is thicker than the other region; depositing a second layer of toner particles on the first layer, wherein the first toner particles have a different thermal conductivity than the second toner particles; and applying heat to the first and second layers simultaneously so that the first layer adheres to the substrate in regions of the lesser thickness of the first toner particles and does not adhere in the regions of greater thickness of the first toner particles; wherein the first and second layers in the regions of greater thickness of the first toner layer can be removed thereby revealing hidden information.

Method for creating a scratch-off document

Apparatus for selectively providing a surface finish to a receiver having an image side, comprising three rotatable members forming two nips. A finishing belt is entrained around, and movable with, one of the rotatable members, and passes through one of the nips. The receiver engages one of the nips according to what surface finish is desired. One of the rotatable members is selectively rotated to draw the receiver through the engaged nip, and a heater heats the rotatable member of the engaged nip facing the image side to impart the desired surface finish.

Toner heating apparatus with belt and nip

A method of forming a variable finish on a receiver by fusing toner to a receiver in an electrophotographic printer includes providing a rotatable member, a fusing system disposed with respect to the rotatable member to form a fusing nip, and a glossing system having a glossing belt and disposed with respect to the rotatable member to form a glossing nip. The fusing system and glossing system are adapted to fuse toner to a receiver to produce respective ranges of finish of the fused toner. A finish within one of the respective ranges, and is selected, as is one of the nips, so the finish range of the system corresponding to the selected nip includes the selected finish. The rotatable member is rotated to feed the receiver through the selected nip to fuse the toner to the receiver and form the selected finish on the receiver.

Forming surface finish by electrophotographic toner fusing

A fuser and receiver release system and method are provided for improving the release of receivers in high speed of printing systems. This system controls the release of a receiver in conjunction with a fuser in a printing system, and specifically the efficiency and accuracy of the release system. One embodiment of this method includes a belt fuser that allows the separating of the heat transfer and release functions of the fuser such that fuser roller could be made of hard metal core that can be heated to high temperatures without the fear of delaminating elastomeric coatings which are common in roller fusing.

Fusing apparatus for high speed electrophotography system

A toner composition for fixing onto a receiver in conjunction with non-contact fuser capable of fusing one or more layers of toner on the receiver such that one or more toner layers reach a fusing temperature above a glass transition temperature. One or more cooling finish rollers are located downstream from the non-contact fuser to lower the toner temperature.

Toner for use in a chilled finish roller system

An electrophotographic machine includes a fusing station configured for fusing an image to an image substrate by applying fusing process parameters to the image substrate. A controller adjusts the fusing process parameters applied to the image substrate dependent at least in part upon whether the image substrate is to be processed by a glossing station to thereby reduce undesirable image artifacts that result when an image contaminated with release fluid is fused and then glossed.

Method and apparatus for reducing image artifacts caused by release fluid in an electrophotographic machine

Apparatus for selectively providing textured handling hazard resistant clear marking particles coatings to photographic elements on an elongated web transported along a travel path from a supply roller to a take-up roller. The apparatus includes a device, located in operative association with the web travel path for applying a clear marking particle coating to the web. A heated fuser roller and a mechanism, such as a pressure roller providing a nip relation with the fuser roller for travel of the web through the nip, are located relative to the web travel path to fuse the clear marking particle coating to the web. At least one heated, textured roller, is located downstream of the fuser roller relative to the web travel path facing the photographic elements on the web. A mechanism is provided for urging a preselected one of the heated, textured rollers into pressure contact with the web for transferring such texture of the roller to the clear marking particle coating while the coating is in a softened state due to heat from the heated, textured roller.

Textured photographic prints resistant to handling hazards

A belt fusing apparatus for use in a reproduction apparatus where a colorant image is formed on a receiver member, and the colorant image is fixed on the receiver member by the belt fusing apparatus for providing image gloss to such colorant image. The belt fusing apparatus includes a fuser assembly and a pressure roller operative associated with the fuser assembly. The fuser assembly includes a fuser roller, a mechanism for supporting the fuser roller, a steering roller, and a mechanism for supporting the steering roller. A member pivotably interconnects the fuser roller support mechanism and the steering roller support mechanism so that the fuser roller support mechanism can move relative to the steering roller support mechanism to and from operative an association therebetween and a collapsed position to facilitate accessibility, serviceability, and ready replacement of a fusing belt adapted to be entrained about the fuser roller and the steering roller for movement in a predetermined direction about a closed loop path.

Collapsible readily replaceable belt fuser assembly

A fuser, for a reproduction apparatus, having at least one heated fuser roller operating at a setpoint temperature to permanently fix a marking particle image to a receiver member, and a mechanism for controlling temperature droop in the at least one heated fuser roller. The temperature droop controlling mechanism includes an external heat source movable to a position in operative relation with the heated fuser roller and a nonoperative position remote from the heated fuser roller. A logic and control unit regulates heat input to the heated fuser roller, during an idle period, to raise the setpoint temperature for the heated fuser roller a preselected amount relative to the operating temperature set point. At the actuation of the reproduction apparatus job run start, the control unit regulates heat input to the heated fuser roller by the fuser roller heater and the external heat source to raise the fuser operating temperature setpoint a preselected amount relative to the idle temperature setpoint. After a preselected time, the control unit actuates a source of air pressure to direct air flow at the fuser roller for creating an intended thermal gradient in the heated fuser roller. Then at a preselected time later, the control unit enables the first receiver member of a reproduction job run to be transported into operative relation with the heated fuser roller, whereby there is substantially no temperature droop in the heated fuser roller. Further, the logic and control unit actuates the pressurized air source to maintains such air flow for a preselected time after the last receiver member in a reproduction job run has passed through the fuser, whereby overshoot of the fuser roller temperature is minimized.

Fuser for reproduction apparatus with minimized temperature droop

A fuser, for a reproduction apparatus, having at least one heated fuser roller operating at a setpoint temperature to permanently fix a marking particle image to a receiver member, and a mechanism for controlling temperature droop in the heated fuser roller. The temperature droop controlling mechanism includes a heat sink having a thermal mass selected to substantially match the heat take out rate for the nominal fuser operating process, the heat sink being movable to a position in operative contact with the heated fuser roller and a nonoperative position remote from heated fuser roller. A logic and control unit is provided for moving the heat sink from the nonoperative remote position to the operative position contacting heated fuser roller as soon as a reproduction apparatus job run is started to remove heat from the heated fuser roller thus lowering its surface temperature from the setpoint temperature. The logic and control unit then causes the fuser roller heating device to be turned on to bring the heated fuser roller surface temperature back up toward the setpoint temperature. Subsequently, when the first receiver member to be fused reaches the heated fuser roller, the logic and control unit causes the heat sink to move to the nonoperative position remote from the fuser roller, whereby temperature droop in the fuser roller is minimized.

A belt fusing apparatus for providing image gloss to a colorant image formed on a receiver member by a reproduction apparatus, the belt fusing apparatus, configured to substantially prevent line art type marking particle offset. The belt fusing apparatus is disclosed as including a heated fuser roller, with a pressure roller in nip relation with the fuser roller, and a steering roller. A fusing belt is entrained about the fuser roller and the steering roller. The steering roller is located downstream of the nip between the fuser roller and the pressure roller, relative to the fuser roller to provide a wrap for the fusing belt about a portion of between 10 and 30% of the circumference of the pressure roller. Further, a cooler is provided to cool the fusing belt over such wrap.

Belt fuser apparatus for preventing line art type marking particle offset

A reproduction apparatus where a colorant image is formed on a receiver member, and the colorant image is fixed on the receiver member by a belt fusing apparatus for providing image gloss to such colorant image. The belt fusing apparatus includes a heated fuser roller, a pressure roller in nip relation with the fuser roller, a steering roller, and a fusing belt entrained about the fuser roller and the steering roller for movement in a predetermined direction about a closed loop path. A mechanism is provided for accurately controlling the tracking of the fusing belt. The fusing belt tracking control mechanism includes supports the steering roller for rotation about its longitudinal axis, and for casterred and gimbaled movement. Sensors detect the respective lateral edges of the fusing belt, the sensors producing control signals when the respective lateral edges are detected for effecting casterred movement of the steering roller. Accordingly, the fusing belt is continuously progressively moved in a cross-track direction between lateral limits.

Mechanism for tracking the belt of a belt fuser

A reproduction apparatus utilizing clear marking particles in the development of an image, the clear marking particles being laid down so as to prevent offset upon fusing of an image to a receiver member. The reproduction apparatus is disclosed as including a dielectric member adapted to have latent images formed thereon. A development station, is provided including a plurality of developer units respectively containing marking particles of different colors, at least one developer unit containing black marking particles and another developer unit containing clear marking particles. The development station selectively develops latent images with marking particles from the developer units respectively. A transfer station serves to transfer developed marking particle images to a receiver member, and a fuser assembly fuses a marking particle image on a receiver member. The developing station is controlled such that the developer unit for applying clear marking particles is selectively activated to apply clear marking particles to a receiver member, the clear marking particles uniformly decreasing toward the edges of the receiver member.

Growing community of inventors

Ontario, NY, United States of America

Robert David Bobo