Eastman-Kodak Company

Nexpress Solutions, Inc.

Other

W Charles Kasiske

Timothy Gilbert Armstrong

D Steven Kepner

Eric C Stelter

James R Carey

Joseph E Guth

Jerry Eugene Livadas

Christopher Stephen Garcia

Michael E Jacobs

John Leonard Hryhorenko

Scott Thomas Slattery

Donald Steven Hensel

Gary Edwin Nichols

Thomas Samuel Albrecht

Cathlyn Y Yu

Daniel Francis Vespone

Patricia D Reuschle

Yee S Ng

Thomas K Hilbert

Edward Michael Eck

John M Fiske

Anne F Lairmore

David McLaughlin Rakov

Garold F Fritz

Michelle Wise

Michelle Dawn Wise

Thomas Kurt Hilbert

Frank J Koetter

In a system and a method for optimizing a printing process, toner adhesion information is acquired that identifies a toner adhesion characteristic of a printed image. The toner adhesion information may identify at least one of (a) a characteristic of toner voids present in the test print, and (b) a relative indication of how easily toner may be removed from the test print. Based at least upon the toner adhesion information, a fuser pressure, a fuser temperature, or both are adjusted ('print job adjustment'). The print job adjustment is used for printing a print job prior to performing a finishing procedure on the print job. The print job adjustment improves an image quality of the print job subsequent to the finishing procedure.

Optimizing a printing process for subsequent finishing procedure

An electrophotographic printer is configured to print a three-dimensional texture on a substrate by applying clear toner in locations corresponding to where texture is desired. The clear toner for texture may be applied either after, or before, other colors (e.g., CMYK) are applied to the substrate. The clear toner may be applied during the same pass as the other colors in an electrophotographic printer () having five imaging units (C,M,Y,K, andX). Alternatively, the clear toner may be applied during a second pass of the substrate through the electrophotographic printer () if, on the first pass, all five imaging units are occupied with different colored toners. An electrophotographic printing system that includes a front-end station for scanning a document coupled to an electrophotographic printer () allows an operator to add texture to a scanned document.

System and method for creating a three-dimensional texture in an electrophotographic image

A magnetic brush development station includes, a housing forming a reservoir for developer materials. A plurality of augers are located in the housing for mixing developer material. A development roller is mounted within the housing for delivering developer material from the reservoir to a development zone. The development roller includes a core magnet inside a shell, having relative rotation. The core magnet extends less than the entire length of the development roller such that a developer nap on the shell does not extend to the respective ends. A metering skive controls the quantity of developer material delivered from the reservoir. A metering skive is positioned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the development roller at a location upstream in the direction of shell rotation prior to the development zone. A magnetic seal is located in association with the skive at each end to substantially prevent leakage of developer material.

Development station for a reproduction apparatus

A magnetic brush development station with a housing forming a reservoir for developer material has a plurality of augers located in the housing for mixing developer material. A drive for the plurality of augers includes an assembly having a body extending through the development station housing. A plurality of bearings are positioned in the body with a spacer between the plurality of bearings. A rotatable shaft is connected between the plurality of augers and an auger drive member. A seal for the rotatable shaft has a lip formed of a material which is able to stretch sufficiently to maintain sealing contact with the shaft while the shaft is being rotated by the auger drive member.

A magnetic brush development station for a reproduction apparatus. The magnetic brush development station includes a housing forming, at least in part, a reservoir for developer material. The reservoir has a pressure equalization seal. A mechanism is associated with the housing for readily moving the housing relative to the reproduction apparatus. Another mechanism selectively readily replenishes and/or empties at least one component of developer material with respect to the reservoir. A plurality of augers are located in the housing for mixing developer material within the reservoir. A drive for the augers, extending through the housing, has a seal therefor. A development roller, mounted within the housing, delivers developer material from the reservoir to a development zone. The development roller includes a core magnet inside a shell such that the core magnet and the shell having relative rotation. The core magnet extends less than the entire length of the development roller such that the developer nap on the shell does not extend to the end of the development roller. A metering skive, extending the length of the development roller, controls the quantity of developer material delivered from the reservoir portion of the housing to the development zone. The metering skive is positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the development roller at a location upstream in the direction of shell rotation prior to the development zone. Further, a magnetic seal is located in association with the skive at each end of the development roller. The magnetic field of the magnetic seal is sufficient to substantially prevent leakage of developer material from the ends of the development roller.

A composite toner image made up of first and second toners is formed on an image member. A first electrostatic image of a first polarity is formed on the image member. That electrostatic image is toned with a first toner of the first polarity. The image member is imagewise exposed to create a second electrostatic image also of the first polarity. Exposure is overlapped into the portion of the image member under the first toner image to prevent any charge on the photoconductor of the first polarity underneath the first toner image from repelling toner into the portions of the second electrostatic image that are discharged. Preferably, the second exposure is accomplished through the base of the image member in order to thoroughly expose portions of the electrostatic image underneath the first toner image.

Method and apparatus for forming two toner images in a single frame

An image forming method which forms a two color toner image or an image made up of two types of toners of the same color includes forming a first image with discharged area development (DAD) and a second image with charged area development (CAD). Resolution and sharpness of the first toner image is improved if the second toner image is formed by imagewise exposing a photoconductive member through a transparent base. Scavenging of the first toner image by the development of the second toner image and other aspects of the method are improved by use of a rotating magnetic core to drive a developer containing hard magnetic carrier in a soft brush through contact with the electrostatic image.

Method for forming toner images with two distinct toners

The scavenging of a first toner into a second toning station in a DAD-CAD or CAD-DAD process can be reduced by allowing scavenged toner to deposit in the background of single color images. The polarity of the first toner of the scavenged toner is not changed prior to transfer and remains on the image member through transfer from which it is later cleaned. Alternatively, scavenged toner is deposited from a second toning station on the image member while no images are being made and allowed to pass through transfer to be cleaned off.

Method and apparatus for forming toner images with two distinct toners

An image forming method and apparatus creates two toner images on a single portion of an image member. The first toner image formed has multiple density levels. It is recharged before creating the second toner image. An aspect of the potential associated with the toner in the first toner image after the recharge step is monitored and used to control the process, for example, by setting a development bias on a development station used to tone the second toner image or by controlling the recharging step.

Image forming method and apparatus forming combined toner images

A linear printhead writer assembly includes a linear source of radiation such as an LED printhead, and an elongated linear focusing device such as a linear lens array, and a support housing for supporting both the source of radiation and focusing device in a fixed relation with respect to each other and to an exposure locus. A positioning bar is supported by the support housing and engages a web image member to position the image member with respect to the exposure locus. The writer is preferably used with an image member having a radiation-sensitive layer on a side opposite the writer and is particularly adapted for exposing a charged image member already containing a toner image as part of a process to create a two-color image on the image member. The focusing device is held in the writer assembly by a coupling with a pair of end supports, each coupling allowing thermal expansion of the lens support and also isolating the lens support from vibration transmitted through the support housing.

Printhead writer assembly engageable with a web image member

An electrostatographic reproduction apparatus having a dielectric member transported about a path in sequential operative relation with electrographic process stations. The moving dielectric member is uniformly charged, and thereafter the uniform charge on the dielectrid member is selectively altered to form a latent image charge pattern thereon corresponding to information to be reproduced. The latent image charge pattern on the dielectric member is developed with triboelectrically charged pigmented marking particles. A receiver member is transported into operative association with a marking particle developed image on the dielectric member. An electrostatic charge is placed on the receiver member, such charge being of a polarity to induce transfer of a marking particle developed image from the dielectric member to the receiver member. The image bearing receiver member is transported along a path from the dielectric member to a fixing apparatus where a transferred developed marking particle image is fixed to the receiver member. A charger, located adjacent to the mechanism for transporting the image bearing receiver member, is for the purpose of placing a charge on a receiver member transported along the path from the dielectric member to the fixing apparatus, such charge being of the opposite polarity as the charge applied to the receiver member to effect transfer of the developed marking particle image to such receiver member.

Active charging to prevent image disruption

In electrographic apparatus a latent image on a flexible photoconductor is developed with toner particles at a development station and subsequently transferred to a receiver sheet, such as a copy sheet, and then fused to the sheet. Sometimes unwanted particles also are on the photoconductor, including the area of a developed image on the photoconductor. Unless the unwanted particles are removed before the developed image is transferred to a copy sheet, the particles can create image voids or other defects in the image on the copy sheet. These particles are removed by a vacuum system including a plenum having an inlet opening located closely adjacent the surface of the photoconductor between the development station and the transfer station. It is important to precisely maintain the desired spacing between the vacuum plenum opening and the photoconductor. In order to maintain this spacing, the plenum is mounted for movement toward and away from a guide roller supporting the photoconductor, and tires on the ends of the plenum contact the roller so that the plenum moves with the roller and thus the photoconductor.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

W Charles Kasiske