The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 23, 2021
Filed:
Jan. 09, 2020
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Jichang Cao, Lexington, KY (US);
John Lemaster, Lexington, KY (US);
William Alan Menk, Jr., Lexington, KY (US);
LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
An imaging device includes a fuser having a heater connected to a power source via a switch. A controller generates a heater control signal for driving the heater without synchronizing the generation of the heater control signal with zero crossings of an AC voltage of the power source. The heater control signal changes between a first state indicating for the heater to be turned on and a second state indicating for the heater to be turned off. A trigger circuit receives the heater control signal and detects whether the AC voltage is within a predefined voltage span around zero volts. The trigger circuit generates a trigger signal for the switch when the AC voltage is within the predefined voltage span while the heater control signal is in the first state such that the switch causes current to pass through from the power source to the heater.