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:
Sep. 14, 1993
Filed:
Sep. 12, 1991
Chris A Storlie, Boise, ID (US);
Richard F Beaufort, Boise, ID (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A combination fusing and media direction control method and apparatus wherein a fuser roller is positioned adjacent to a pair of idler pressure rollers located at predetermined locations adjacent to the surface of the motor driven fuser roller which is operative to receive printed media from a photo-conductive drum within a printer housing. The printed media enters a location between the surface of the fuser roller and one of the idler pressure rollers where it then traverses an approximately 90.degree. contoured path around approximately one-quarter (1/4) of the surface area of the fuser roller where it then exits the fuser roller at the intersection of the fuser roller and the second idler pressure roller. From this point, the direction of media travel is maintained substantially in a horizontal direction until the time the media comes to rest in an output paper collection tray of the printer. A deflection baffle member is provided adjacent the location of the fuser roller and the second idler pressure roller to provide a slight vertical deflection of the fused media so as to maintain its direction of travel into the output paper collection tray substantially flat or horizontal, thereby maintaining the media in the substantially flat or horizontal position over the entire length of the time that the fused paper is being cooled after leaving the fuser roller. This operation in turn serves to minimize and substantially eliminate curl otherwise introduced into the printed media. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the above described media guide control is accomplished by the use of either a contoured drive belt or a contoured deflector plate used in combination with a single idler pressure roller.