Tektronix, Inc.

Xerox Corporation

William Y Pong

Richard Guy Chambers

James D Rise

Timothy L Crawford

Daniel Clark Park

Larry Eugene Hindman

Carl Thomas Urban

Darrell Ray Finneman

Donald B Maclane

Meade M Neal

Barry Daniel Reeves

Michael E Jones

Nathan E Hult

Darrell R Finnemann

An image transfer mechanism includes a pressure element and a lever system. The lever system has a load attachment point with a range of position that depends on the thickness of a print medium positioned between the imaging element and the pressure element. A load mechanism includes a load connector with a distal end attached to the lever system load attachment point so that displacement of the lever system attachment point causes longitudinal movement of the load connector. The load mechanism applies a load that is substantially constant throughout the range of position of the lever system load attachment point. The load mechanism includes a spring and a crank attached to the spring and to the proximal end of the load connector. The crank is configured so that a change in the spring force produces a lesser change in the load force at the distal end of the load connector.

Image transfer element with balanced constant force load

Image transfer element with balanced constant load force

A method of cleaning a media preheater that is positioned in the media path of a printer is disclosed. The media preheater has a fixed heater and a movable plate array biased toward the heater such that printer media passing between the plate array and the heater is compressed therebetween and heated. The preheater may be positioned upstream of a print head and downstream of a media advancing mechanism in the media path. More than one plate may be provided in the plate array to accommodate non-planarity of the heater or the printing media. The method elevates the temperature of the contact surface of the preheater to a cleaning temperature that is greater than the operating temperature and then passes a chase sheet over the surface to remove contamination from the preheater surface.

Method of cleaning a printer media preheater

A process motor (82) provides bidirectional motive force to a printer (50) drive train (80) that selectively engages with multiple self-homing printing functions. A print head (52) is tiltable to a maintenance position and a transfer roller (64) is loadable against a transfer drum (54) by respective missing tooth gear (96, 160) latching mechanisms. A print media pick roller (122) and transfer drum maintaining devices (70, 72) are actuated by spring-wrap clutches (114, 236) that are protected from reverse rotation by a one-way clutch (106). Print media transport rollers (140, 142) are selectively engaged with the one-way clutch by an electro-mechanical clutch (128). A picked and transported print medium (56) receives an ink image from the transfer drum and is stripped therefrom by stripper fingers (66) and directed into media exit rollers (212, 220) for delivery to a media output tray (68). The stripper fingers and exit rollers are actuated sequentially by cams (180, 182) that are slaved to the transfer roller loading function.

Printer multi-function drive train apparatus and method

A media preheater positioned in the media path of a printer and having a fixed heater and a movable plate array biased toward the heater such that printing media passing between the heater and the plate array is compressed therebetween and heated. The preheater may be positioned upstream of a print head and downstream of a media advancing mechanism in the media path. More than one plate may be provided in the plate array to accommodate non-planarity of the heater or the printing medium. The plate array may be a thermally massive element that contacts the heater when no media is present, thereby permitting the medium to be heated from both sides.

Printer media preheater and method

A media sensing system monitors the movement of media along the media pathway (76) as a sheet of printing medium (56) is transported through the printer 50. The media sensing system permits a hand fed sheet of printing medium (56) to be detected by a sensor (302) and signal to be sent to inactivate a print media pick roller (122) that automatically feeds print media. The sensing system senses the transport of print media (56) by print media transport rollers (140, 142) detecting media sheet size, activates the transfer process of an image from the liquid intermediate transfer surface on the transfer drum (54) to a sheet of print medium (56) after pausing the sheet of print medium to synchronize its movement along the media pathway with the imaging process, and activating the preheater (60) to heat the print medium (56) prior to image transfer and fusing. The sensing system senses the exit of the print medium (56) from the media exit rollers (212, 220) for delivery to an output tray (68).

Printer media path sensing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Tualatin, OR, United States of America

William Y Pong