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:
Jul. 17, 2001
Filed:
May. 09, 2000
Raymond Milton Baker, Lexington, KY (US);
Ronald Paul Bussiere, Richmond, KY (US);
John William Hutchinson, Lexington, KY (US);
David Thomas Shadwick, Versailles, KY (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
An image forming apparatus having a pair of fuser rollers for fusing toner onto the surface of recording sheets. The apparatus further includes an oil applicator mounted for dispensing oil onto at least one of the fuser rollers. The oil applicator includes a tank for holding oil, a pad disposed adjacent to one of the rollers for applying oil thereto, and an oil reservoir mounted adjacent the pad and connected to the tank for receiving oil therefrom. The oil reservoir includes an ejection port that permits oil within the reservoir to be dispensed to the pad. A flexible diaphragm extends over at least a portion of the oil reservoir, and a seal is secured to the diaphragm. At least one piezo element is secured to the diaphragm for moving the diaphragm and seal between two positions in response to the piezo element being selectively operable between engaged and non-engaged states. In one of the positions the seal effectively closes the oil reservoir ejection port, while in the other position the seal is spaced from the ejection port such that oil may flow from the oil reservoir through the ejection port and to the pad.