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:
Apr. 18, 2000
Filed:
May. 27, 1999
Thomas Acquaviva, Penfield, NY (US);
William Brant, Rochester, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A post-fusing apparatus is provided in an electrostatographic reproduction machine for adding a controlled amount of moisture to a side of a fused toner image carrying copy sheet to control curl. The sheet conditioning apparatus includes a moisturizing agent supply and splitting assembly, including a supply source containing moisturizing agent and a plurality of rotatable metering rollers forming at least first and second moisture splitting nips, for splitting a layer of supplied moisturizing agent, and forming a thin film of moisture. The sheet conditioning apparatus also includes a rotatable moisture applying roller forming a moisture splitting and receiving nip with the moisture agent supply and splitting assembly, for receiving the thin film of moisture therefrom. The rotatable moisture applying roller also forms a moisture applying nip with a side of the fused toner image carrying copy sheet for applying a desired amount of moisture from the received thin film of moisture thereon onto the fused toner image carrying copy sheet so as to control curl therein. Importantly, the sheet conditioning apparatus includes a control system, including nip pressure adjustment assemblies and a programmable controller, for adjusting nip pressure in the moisture receiving nip and the moisture applying nip to control the desired amount of moisture being applied onto the fused toner image copy sheet. The programmable controller also includes an equilibrium moisture content value (M.sub.f) for copy sheets that are same as the fused toner image carrying copy sheet, and the nip pressure adjustment assemblies are adjusted and controlled such that the desired amount of moisture being applied is about 1.5% greater than the equilibrium moisture content value (M.sub.f).