Eastman-kodak Company

Heidelberg Digital L.l.c.

Susan C Baruch

Borden Hicks Mills, Iii

John P King

Jerry Alan Pickering

Alan Richard Priebe

William J Staudenmayer

David Francis Cahill

Thomas M Plutchak

Theodora Miller

Suzanne P Clark

Steven M Gern

Ronald L Holland

Stephen G Keller

A fuser member for toner fusing systems and processes. This fuser member has a fuser base and a fusing surface layer, and the fusing surface layer contains a fluoroelastomer and filler particles. The filler particles have a mean particle diameter greater than 5 microns, and a modulus greater than the modulus of the fluoroelastomer at fusing temperatures. The fusing surface layer has at least the minimum proportion by volume of these particles, with at least the minimum mean particle diameter, that will provide the fusing surface layer with an equilibrium surface roughness so that, in fusing toner to substrate, the fuser member generates an image having a gloss number less than 10.

Fuser member and fuser member surface layer

A fuser member is described wherein the fuser member includes a core, a cushion comprising a first layer adjacent to the core and a second layer on top of the first layer, and a plastic sleeve. Also described is a process for producing a fuser member, which includes applying a first layer of cushioning composition on a core, applying a second layer of cushioning composition on the first layer of the cushioning composition, and applying a plastic sleeve on the second layer of the cushioning composition.

Sleeved fuser member

The invention is in the field of fusing and fusing apparatus for print media, particularly for fusing toner to print media and other variations. According to various aspects of the invention, an improved temperature control is provided for a fusing apparatus wherein control is prioritized. According to various further aspects of the invention, a device having a fuser controller is provided operative to control a fusing control parameter based at least in part upon a print media thickness. Numerous other variations and aspects are included within the scope of the invention.

Apparatus and process for fuser control

A process for fusing toner to paper. The toner fusing system for conducting this process includes a fuser roller consisting of a base, and a fusing surface layer that includes both a fluoroelastomer continuous phase, and also a discontinuous phase dispersed through the continuous phase in the form of domains.

Process for electrostatographic reproduction

The present invention is in the field of electrophotographic printers and copiers. More specifically this invention relates to the fuser apparatus used to fuse an image on a receiving sheet. According to just one aspect of the invention, an apparatus and process for fixing toner images to a receiving sheet is provided. The apparatus may include a fuser having a run condition and an idle condition, the fuser having a fuser roller, a fuser roller heater, and a fuser temperature sensor which inputs to a logic and control system which controls the heating of the fuser roller heater. The fuser roller may be cooled during or after the idle condition, prior to the first receiving sheet entering the fuser. The fuser roller has end portions and a middle portion, and the middle portion may be cooled relative to said end portions. Additional aspects and representative embodiments are described herein.

Method and apparatus for selective fuser rolling cooling

A method and apparatus for extending the useful life of a fuser roller having ends, a length greater than a central portion of the fuser roller, the central portion of the fuser roller having ends, and end portions of the fuser roller extending from the ends of the central portion of the fuser roller to the ends of the fuser roller, at least a portion of the fuser roller being coated during operation with a release agent by contact with a wick roller, the wick roller including a porous ceramic wick roller body having ends, a length greater than a central portion of the wick roller, the central portion of the wick roller having ends, a release agent supply line in fluid communication with a central cavity in the wick roller body, a release agent impermeable coating over lengths of the wick roller body between the ends of the wick roller and the ends of the central portion of the wick roller, and a release agent transfer surface over the outside of the wick roller and the release agent impervious coating by positioning openings in the impermeable coating and in fluid communication with the wick roller body and the release agent transfer surface. The method and apparatus are also effective with fuser belt systems.

Method and an improved wick roller for controlling the distribution of fuser oil on a fuser surface

A fuser for fixing toner images to a receiving sheet includes pressure and fusing rollers which are separated during idle. In response to a run signal, the temperature of the fusing roller is given a boost according to a sensed or estimated temperature of the pressure roller. At other times during both idle and run, the temperature of the fusing roller is controlled by a sensor associated with the fusing roller.

Roller fuser having a temperature control

Image forming apparatus includes a logic and control which receives an input indicative of the compliance of a fusing roller and adjusts the temperature of the fuser in response to that input. The apparatus also can receive an input indicative of the melt viscosity of one or more toners making up an image to be fused to similarly adjust the fusing temperature. Alternatively, the pressure in a fusing nip can be adjusted in response to either or both inputs. The inputs can be received in the logic and control from a fusing roller cartridge having machine readable indicating device, indicative of the compliance of the fusing roller. Similarly, the melt viscosity of the toner can be input from a machine readable indicia or the like on a toner bottle.

Image forming apparatus having improved fusing consistency

An electrostatographic copier or printer for producing high-quality fixed reflection copy images on paper substrates and high-quality projection copy images on transparency substrates. The copier or printer includes a heat and pressure fixing apparatus having a first fixing nip and a fixing nip dwell time extending device that forms a second fixing nip with the fuser roller thereof.

Electrostatographic apparatus and method having a fixing dwell time

An electrostatographic fusing apparatus includes a sheet decurling mechanism that has a curl indicating device and a pair of selectable sheet decurling nips formed by a set of hard rollers and a soft roller. The curl indicating device predicts the degree of toner particle laydown of a toned image on an image frame from the value of charge on such frame relative to a given standard charge value of charge. A copy sheet receiving toned images from an image frame having a charge value higher than such standard charge value is selectively deflected through a first decurling nip where the soft roller directly contacts the toned image side of such a copy sheet in order to induce therein a convex curl.

Sheet decurling mechanism and method

A rotating release liquid applying device for a fuser which fuses toner images on a receiving sheet, includes an outer porous ceramic material which contacts a surface to which liquid is to be applied and rotates with movement of that surface. Liquid is fed by a pump through a distribution tube located inside the ceramic material.

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Pittsford, NY, United States of America

Susan C Baruch