Xerox Corporation

Ronald E Stokes

Barry Paul Mandel

William J Nowak

Charles Donahue Rizzolo

Charles M Gardiner

William R Smith

Louis F LaVallee

Joel S Cornell

Ralph E Simpson

John T Potter

Kathy Cupo

Richard S Pagano

David Bradley Montfort

Daniel W Costanza

Anthony A Attardi

A critical parameter/requirements management process model for managing a development program for a product and an associated product structure-driven critical parameter/requirements management tool and environment is provided. In one embodiment, the process includes a product structure classification scheme, a parameter/requirements classification scheme, a parameter/requirements process and maturity model, and in-process and requirements conformance views. In one embodiment, the tool includes a user interface layer, a business layer, a data layer, and a database. The user interface layer may include a product structure feature group, an add/edit/link feature group, a manage maturity feature group, and a manage conformance feature group. The tool may be implemented as a web server accessible to user workstations operating as thin clients. The tool may be integrated with one or more other product development tools, such as a document-driven requirements management, configuration management, manufacturing/production control system, problem management, and phased product delivery process tools.

Critical parameter/requirements management process and environment

An electrophotographic device for reproducing an image on an imaging member includes: processing elements for forming a toner-developed latent image on a charge retentive surface of the imaging member; a transfer station for transferring toner from the imaging surface to a second surface of a receiving member; an arrangement for enhancing toner release from the imaging surface, including a resonator in contact with and applying vibratory energy to the imaging member at a location at which toner release is desired having a resonator resonant frequency f.sub.r ; a coupler for coupling the imaging member to the resonator; a driving signal source electrically coupled to the resonator, and producing a driving signal selected to drive the resonator at frequency f.sub.r ; the imaging member, coupler and receiving member together defining a system having a first and second belt resonant frequency (f.sub.b1 and f.sub.b2, respectively) when excited by the toner release enhancer; and the belt resonant frequencies and the resonator resonant frequency selected so that

Optimized vibratory systems in electrophotographic devices

An electrophotographic device having an imaging member with a charge retentive surface, driven along an endless path through a series of processing stations that create a latent image on the charge retentive surface, develop the image with toner, and bring a sheet of paper or other transfer member into intimate contact with the charge retentive surface at a transfer station for electrostatic transfer of toner from the charge retentive surface to the sheet. For the enhancement of toner release from a surface at any of the processing stations, a resonator suitable for generating vibratory energy is arranged in line contact with the back side of the non-rigid member, to uniformly apply vibratory energy thereto. The resonator includes a vibrational energy producing device; a horn member for transmitting vibrational energy, divided into a plurality of horn elements, each horn element including a horn portion and a contacting portion in substantially non-contacting relationship with a horn portion and a contacting portion or any adjacent horn elements, each horn vibrating when driven by the vibratory energy producing piezoelectric device, in an axial mode toner releasing vibration, and a transverse mode causing non-uniform response among the horn elements; and an energy dissipating media inserted into the inter element gaps for substantially damping the transverse mode vibration, while substantially allowing the axial mode vibration.

Cross process vibrational mode suppression in high frequency vibratory

For the enhancement of toner release from an imaging surface on a flexible belt member in an electrophotographic device a resonator suitable for generating vibratory energy is arranged in line contact with the back side of the belt member, to uniformly apply vibratory energy to the member. The resonator includes a horn divided into a linear array of segments, and an array of vibration producing elements, each coupled to at least one horn segment, and driven with a voltage to produce a high frequency vibratory response. To avoid the problem of variations in response that occurs due to varying resonant frequencies of each horn element, the vibration producing elements are driven across a range of frequencies that includes each resonant frequency required, over a relatively short period of time.

Frequency sweeping excitation of high frequency vibratory energy

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Fairport, NY, United States of America

Ronald E Stokes