Lexmark International, Inc.

Lexmark Intellectual, Inc.

Scott Shiaoshin Wu

Bradley Leonard Beach

Jichang Cao

Jerry Wayne Smith

James Douglas Gilmore

Michael David Maul

Ronald Lloyd Roe

Jean Marie Massie

Kathryn Dowlen Mullins

John D Ringo

Gillian Ross

Fangsheng Wu

Niko Jay Murrell

Gregory Daniel Creteau

Katherine Mary Mulloy

Miranda Elizabeth Oaks

An image-forming device includes a belt based fuser for fixing an image to a media substrate. The fuser includes a heater having a base component with at least one heating element disposed thereon. The heater further includes a covering layer covering the at least one heating element providing a substantially even surface to abut a belt. Unevenness, which may be present on the substantially even surface, has a height, defined by a base and a peak, of less than about 10 &#x3bc;m. A process for producing the heater is also disclosed. The process includes disposing one or more heating elements on a base component of the heater, covering the heating elements of the fuser heater with a covering layer and providing a substantially even outer surface to abut a fuser belt.

Flat heater for electrophotographic belt fusing systems, and methods of making same

An externally heated fuser roller to achieve good fusing performance, long life and relatively quick warm-up time. The fuser roller is made up of a metal core, an insulation elastic layer, a heat transport layer and optionally a release layer such that the thickness of the heat transport layer is in the range of about 0.25 and about 1 mm, the effusivity value of the heat transport layer be equal to or greater than about 800 W&#x221a;s(mK), the total thermal capacity of the heat transport layer is less than about 200 J/m K, and the effusivity value of the insulation elastic layer is less than about 400 W&#x221a;s(mK).

High fusing performance externally heated fuser roller

A fuser and method of use for an electrophotographic imaging device that includes a lamp heater assembly; an endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration and being positioned about the lamp heater assembly and spaced outwardly therefrom; a transparent or translucent pressure tube having an elongated tubular body and a pair of opposite ends, the body being substantially transparent to passage of radiant heat therethrough; a pressure tube support assembly having a frame and a pair of bearings mounted on the frame spaced apart from one another and supporting the pressure tube at the opposite ends of the tubular body thereof such that the tubular body of the pressure tube is positioned around the lamp heater assembly and inside the fusing belt and enables radiant heat generated by the lamp heater to pass through the transparent or translucent pressure tube and heat the fusing belt.

Belt fuser for an electrophotographic printer having tubular heating support member

A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device according to one embodiment includes a stationary pressure member having an elongated body with an outer surface. The pressure member is substantially transparent and/or substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough. An endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration is rotatably positioned about the pressure member. The pressure member is positioned around a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt. A backup roll opposes the fusing belt. The pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt.

Fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device to maintain a high fuser belt temperature

An apparatus and process are provided for forming a tubular article. A tube holder is mounted to a support stand via an automatic alignment device. A tubular metal sleeve is placed in the tube holder. A coating material is provided. A bullet-shaped or spherical element is passed through the metal sleeve such that the element runs along an inner circumferential surface of the metal sleeve. The automatic alignment device allows the metal sleeve and the tube holder to level themselves such that the element is substantially aligned with the metal sleeve as the element moves through the metal sleeve. The element spreads the coating material generally evenly along the inner circumferential surface of the metal sleeve as the element passes through the metal sleeve.

Process and apparatus for forming a tubular article

A fuser roll adapted to fuse toner on the surface of a recording medium is disclosed. The fuser roll includes a non-metallic core having an outer surface, and a resistive heating element covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the core. A current transmitter is provided for transmitting a current to said resistive heating element, and an insulation layer is provided for covering at least a portion of said resistive heating element. A toner release layer is provided for covering at least a portion of said insulation layer.

Resistive heating hot roll fuser

An endless fusing thick belt for an electrographic imaging device having a flexible tubular configuration of predetermined diameter, said endless fusing thick belt comprising; an outside surface toner release layer comprised of a coating and a sleeve; a silicone rubber layer positioned inside said outside surface toner release layer; a rigid material layer positioned inside said silicone rubber layer; and a silicone base layer positioned inside and affixed to the internal surface of said polyimide layer using an adhesive.

Thick fusing belt for a color electrophotographic printer

A fuser member adapted to fuse toner onto the surface of a recording medium as the recording medium passes a nip area of the fuser member comprises a electrically conductive polymer layer, a resistive layer, and an electrically conductive layer. The fuser member further comprises a current supply roll and a current return roll, wherein the current supply roll and the current return roll are configured to provide current flow through the electrically conductive polymer layer and the resistive layer to generate fusing heat at the nip area.

Fuser member including an electrically conductive polymer layer, a resistive layer, an electrically conductive layer, and current supply and return rolls

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Scott Shiaoshin Wu