US3529129A - Reflection type flash fuser - Google Patents

Reflection type flash fuser Download PDF

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Publication number
US3529129A
US3529129A US707612A US3529129DA US3529129A US 3529129 A US3529129 A US 3529129A US 707612 A US707612 A US 707612A US 3529129D A US3529129D A US 3529129DA US 3529129 A US3529129 A US 3529129A
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United States
Prior art keywords
cavity
lamp
source
flash
support material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US707612A
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English (en)
Inventor
James D Rees
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Xerox Corp
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Xerox Corp
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Publication date
Application filed by Xerox Corp filed Critical Xerox Corp
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Publication of US3529129A publication Critical patent/US3529129A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G15/20—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat
    • G03G15/2003—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat
    • G03G15/2007—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using radiant heat, e.g. infrared lamps, microwave heaters
    • G03G15/201—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using radiant heat, e.g. infrared lamps, microwave heaters of high intensity and short duration, i.e. flash fusing

Definitions

  • Another object of this invention is to improve xerographic fixing apparatus.
  • a further object of this invention is to improve xerographic flash fusing apparatus.
  • a still further object of this invention is to improve apparatus for rapidly fixing a heat fusable image to a final support material.
  • a further object of this invention is to efliciently heat fuse xerographic images of varying densities with a pulse flash array in energy.
  • Yet another object of this invention is to provide method and apparatus for rapidly and uniformly heat fusing a xerographic image to a paper support material.
  • a source of radiant energy capable of emitting energy wavelengths at which the support material is essentially non-absorbent and at which the images are highly absorptive, means to pulse said energy source for a predetermined period of time, and a reflective cavity arranged in respect to the source and the receiving surface whereby the image areas thereon are rapidly, efficiently, and uniformly fixed to the support material.
  • FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the fuser housing suitable for use in fusing xerographic copy, the fuser having portions thereof broken away to show the internal construction of the apparatus;
  • FIG. 2 illustrates graphically the parameters important in the present fusing operation plotted against wavelength
  • FIG. 3 is a curve showing the distribution in the relative irradiance produced by a line source on a relatively flat surface positioned parallel to said source;
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the electrical triggering circuit of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of the reflective cavity shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the reflective phenomena involved in the flash fuser of the present invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a sectional end view of a fuser in accordance with the present invention having a plurality of real energy sources.
  • the apparatus of the preferred embodiment of the present invention basically comprises a rectangular shaped cavity, generally referred to as 20.
  • the interior surfaces or walls of the cavity are specular reflectors of high reflectivity.
  • An elongated generally tubular source of radiant energy 21 is supported in the front and rear walls of said cavity at a predetermined distance above the bottom surface 32 by means of brackets 19.
  • Ingress and egress ports 22 and 23 are positioned in two opposing walls 24 and 25, respectively, and run parallel to the axial center line of the elongated lamp.
  • the ports are positioned in the bottom portion of the side walls and permit the image bearing support material 30 to be transported through the cavity adjacent to and in close proximity with the bottom surface 31 of the cavity.
  • the unfixed image bearing support material which is shown in web configuration in this preferred embodiment, is fed from supply roll 32 over idler roll 33 and passes through the cavity housing by means of the above mentioned ingress and egress ports.
  • the image is fused, as will be explained below, in the cavity.
  • the fixed support material thereafter is guided by a second idler roll 35 to take up roll 36.
  • the take up roll is driven by any suitable drive means, as for example motor means 37, at a predetermined rate.
  • the radiant energy source and the image bearing support material to be fixed thereto are placed within a reflective cavity or housing which is constructed to functionally approximate an integrating sphere.
  • the theory of the optical integrating sphere is relatively straight forward and can be explained with a simple example.
  • This new irradiance is a function of the reflectivity of the inside surface of the sphere. If the reflectivity is a function of wavelength, the average reflectivity taken over the emissive bandwidth of the source can be used to find this new irradiance. Multiple reflections inside the sphere have now greatly increased the irradiance at the elemental surface and a gain factor, that is, the ratio of H to H also becomes a function of the average reflectivity of the sphere.
  • FIG. 4 Circuitry for achieving pulse generation in the preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 4.
  • a DC power supply 40 is connected across storage capacitor 41' and is grounded on one side 42.
  • the storage capacitor typically has a capacitance of between 100 to 150 microfarads where applied voltages vary between 1800 and 5000 volts and hence electrical energy in the range of 160 to 1900 joules is stored for use when the flash lamp 43 is to be pulsed.
  • the storage condenser is connected to the flash lamp through a variable inductor 44 which is in the range of 150 micro-henrys to 3 mill-henrys and determines the pulse duration produced by the flash lamp.
  • Flash lamp 21 consists of an envelope containing xenon gas and a pair of electrodes at each end which are not electrically connected to each other.
  • a coil 45 Surrounding the glass envelope of the flash lamp is a coil 45 which is connected to a high voltage pulse trigger 46. Approximately 20,000 to 30,000 volts is applied across coil 45 when the pulsing triggering circuitry is actuated. This high surge of current through the coil is such as to electrically couple the electrodes to the flash lamp causing a gas breakdown, which in turn, pulses the flash lamp resulting in a flash of suitable duration as determined by presetting variable inductor 44. In operation the lamp is periodically energized in timed relation to the movement of support material through the cavity.
  • the entire interior surface of cavity 20 is constructed of or coated with a material which is highly reflective when taken over the emissive bandwidth of the flash lamp, a reflectivity in excess of 0.9 being preferred for greater efficiency.
  • the efiiciency of the radiant flash fuser of the present invention is further enhanced if the spectral output of the energy source is such that the wavelength absorptivity of the toner is at a maximum and if simultaneously he wavelength absorptivity of the support material is at a minimum.
  • the design of the present invention will be explained in reference to fixing a toner image to a paper support material.
  • FIG. 2 Represented graphically in FIG. 2 are the spectral absorption curves for xerographic toner and white bond paper which are superimposed over a typical spectral emission curve for xenon flash lamp 21.
  • the xenon flash lamp has an emissive spectrum showing a strong continuum between 0.4 and 1.0 micron while the absorptivity of the white bond paper in this range for all practical purposes is non-existing. While the absorptivity of the paper about the missive output of the lamp is at a minimum, the toner essentially acts as a black body and will absorb well in excess of 90% of the energy incident thereon.
  • the net effect is to heat the toner material and not the support material.
  • the support material is transported through reflective cavity 20 in close proximity to the bottom surface thereof.
  • the paper being highly reflective, in effect acts as a planar reflecting surface to the radiation emitted by the source.
  • the radiation not reflected by the paper is transmitted through the paper and re-radiated back *by the highly reflective bottom surface 32 of the cavity so that the net effect is to return a preponderance of the energy not absorbed by the image back into the cavity.
  • Most of the energy returned to the cavity is eventually reflected into the images where it can be utilized in the fixing process.
  • the cavity must be highly reflective and also capable of producing uniform irradiance at the surface of the receiving body.
  • the elongated tubular source of energy 21 (FIG. 1) is arranged such that the axial center line of the lamp is substantially perpendicular to the front and rear walls of the cavity, 27 and 28 respectively. Positioning the lamp in such a manner, that is, perpendicular to and between two highly reflective surfaces, in effect, optically produces a source of radiation which is infinitely long.
  • FIG. 3 it can be shown that the irradiance produced by an infinitely long line source of radiant energy on a flat receiving surface can be determined. If the intensity of the source is J, and the source is positioned some distance Y from the receiving surface, the relative irradiance at the plane measured from a perpendicular from the plane passing through the source is:
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional end view of the reflective cavity of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
  • the lamp is positioned midway between sidewalls .24 and and is supported above the surface of the support material 30.
  • the irradiance produced by the source at the flat receiving surface closely approximates the theoretical irradiance produced by a line source.
  • top reflecting surface 31 is brought as close as practicable to the top of lamp 21 so that the height of the cavity (h) is minimized.
  • FIG. 6 shows schematically the real source of energy 21 and a number of mirror images of the real source produced by these planar reflecting surfaces. As can be seen, the total relative irradiance produced at the plane of the support material within the cavity is a summation of the irradiance produced by all the sources, real and apparent.
  • the total relative irradiance at the plane of the receiving surface measured some distance x from the perpendicular passing through the source is now where all the relative irradiances are evaluated at the point x and corrected for the reflectance of the cavity.
  • any other suitable lamp, flash or otherwise may be used. Any suitable power supply and pulser may be used and other equivalent electric circuits utilized to produce a pulse of suitable intensity and duration.
  • the teachings of the present invention are not contemplated to be limited to apparatus utilizing a single lamp but are equally applicable to a multi-lamp arrangement as shown in FIG. 7. Altering the number of lamps employed, of course, suggests alterations in the geometry of the reflecting cavity. Toners other than the typical electroscopic toner compositions referred to above may also be utilized. Specific modifications of support materials and toners consisting of different compositions and commonly employed within the terms may also be employed with suitable alterations in the tailoring of the pulsed shape and reflective characteristics of the walls in accordance with the principles set forth in this invention.
  • Apparatus for fusing heat fixable powder images to a final support material upon which the powder images are loosely adhering said apparatus including an elongated lamp having a pre-determined diameter, said lamp being capable of emitting radiant energy concentrated at wavelengths at which said support material is relatively nonabsorptive and at which the powder images are highly absorptive.
  • a substantially enclosed housing having an interior made up of planar reflecting surfaces, said surfaces cooperating to form a box-like cavity being highly reflective at the wavelengths at which said lamp emits energy,
  • said lamp being positioned in spaced relation with the interior side wall surfaces of said cavity so that the real source of radiation and the apparent sources of radiation reflected by said side wall combined to produce substantially uniform radiation in the plane of said bottom surface,
  • said elongated lamp comprises a xenon flash lamp having an emissive spectrum showing a strong continuum between 0.4 and 1.0 micron.
  • the apparatus of claim 4 further including the means to periodically energize said source of radiation in timed relation to the movement of said image bearing support material.
  • the apparatus of claim 5 having a plurality of elongated lamps placed in parallel relation of distance above said bottom surface at least equal to ten times the diameter of one of said lamps.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fixing For Electrophotography (AREA)
  • Optical Elements Other Than Lenses (AREA)
US707612A 1968-02-23 1968-02-23 Reflection type flash fuser Expired - Lifetime US3529129A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US70761268A 1968-02-23 1968-02-23

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US3529129A true US3529129A (en) 1970-09-15

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US707612A Expired - Lifetime US3529129A (en) 1968-02-23 1968-02-23 Reflection type flash fuser

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US (1) US3529129A (fr)
BE (1) BE728716A (fr)
DE (1) DE1908827C3 (fr)
FR (1) FR2002530A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB1252465A (fr)
NL (1) NL6902642A (fr)

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3818182A (en) * 1971-02-08 1974-06-18 Bonnierfoeretagen Ab Device for shrinking a wrapper, consisting of a plastic sheeting shrinkable by heating, around a transport unit
JPS49124160A (fr) * 1972-12-27 1974-11-27
US3874892A (en) * 1971-01-06 1975-04-01 Xerox Corp Electrostatographic fusing process employing replaceable liner
US3944783A (en) * 1974-10-18 1976-03-16 Xerox Corporation High efficiency non-cavity radiant method and apparatus
US4126565A (en) * 1976-12-27 1978-11-21 Xerox Corporation Toners for color flash fusers containing a permanent colorant and a heat sensitive dye
DE3017898A1 (de) * 1979-07-02 1981-01-22 Xerox Corp Verfahren zum blitzlichtschmelzen von tonerbildern auf kopiensubstrate und vorrichtung zum fixieren von tonerbildern
US4329045A (en) * 1980-04-09 1982-05-11 Xerox Corporation Illumination system for microfilm printer
US4504323A (en) * 1980-09-12 1985-03-12 Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Method for annealing semiconductors with a planar source composed of flash discharge lamps
US4711987A (en) * 1985-03-01 1987-12-08 Abbott Laboratories Heat source circuitry for biological material analysis
US4766288A (en) * 1987-08-17 1988-08-23 Xerox Corporation Flash fusing reflector cavity
US6417248B1 (en) * 1999-04-21 2002-07-09 Hewlett-Packard Company Preparation of improved inks for inkjet printers
US6894107B2 (en) 1999-04-21 2005-05-17 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Systems and methods for creating permanent images on substrates using ink-jet technology
US20060083872A1 (en) * 2004-10-20 2006-04-20 Radha Sen Ink solvent assisted heat sealable media
US20110067234A1 (en) * 2008-05-20 2011-03-24 Theis Daniel J Method for continuous sintering on indefinite length webs

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS63285499A (ja) * 1987-05-18 1988-11-22 Nissin High Voltage Co Ltd ロ−ル方式窓箔自動交換装置
DE29908050U1 (de) * 1999-05-05 2000-09-14 Mikut Friedhelm Hundeschutzanzug

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2674809A (en) * 1950-08-24 1954-04-13 Raduner & Co Ag Apparatus for thermic treatment by infrared radiation
US2807703A (en) * 1956-06-14 1957-09-24 Ibm Xerographic image fixing apparatus
US3187162A (en) * 1962-06-14 1965-06-01 Hitachi Ltd Apparatus for thermally fixing electronically imprinted images
US3239651A (en) * 1963-08-21 1966-03-08 Ekco Products Company Heating unit
US3265862A (en) * 1964-12-14 1966-08-09 Hupp Corp Type form heater apparatus
US3280717A (en) * 1962-05-25 1966-10-25 Hall Harding Ltd Photographic developing machines
US3374769A (en) * 1965-12-06 1968-03-26 Xerox Corp Toner fusing apparatus
US3382360A (en) * 1965-09-10 1968-05-07 Xerox Corp Xerographic charging system having means for providing an air cushion between the charging device and the xerographic drum
US3390634A (en) * 1966-06-08 1968-07-02 Addressograph Multigraph Direct lithography master making
US3432639A (en) * 1966-10-03 1969-03-11 Xerox Corp Fusing apparatus

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2674809A (en) * 1950-08-24 1954-04-13 Raduner & Co Ag Apparatus for thermic treatment by infrared radiation
US2807703A (en) * 1956-06-14 1957-09-24 Ibm Xerographic image fixing apparatus
US3280717A (en) * 1962-05-25 1966-10-25 Hall Harding Ltd Photographic developing machines
US3187162A (en) * 1962-06-14 1965-06-01 Hitachi Ltd Apparatus for thermally fixing electronically imprinted images
US3239651A (en) * 1963-08-21 1966-03-08 Ekco Products Company Heating unit
US3265862A (en) * 1964-12-14 1966-08-09 Hupp Corp Type form heater apparatus
US3382360A (en) * 1965-09-10 1968-05-07 Xerox Corp Xerographic charging system having means for providing an air cushion between the charging device and the xerographic drum
US3374769A (en) * 1965-12-06 1968-03-26 Xerox Corp Toner fusing apparatus
US3390634A (en) * 1966-06-08 1968-07-02 Addressograph Multigraph Direct lithography master making
US3432639A (en) * 1966-10-03 1969-03-11 Xerox Corp Fusing apparatus

Cited By (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3874892A (en) * 1971-01-06 1975-04-01 Xerox Corp Electrostatographic fusing process employing replaceable liner
US3818182A (en) * 1971-02-08 1974-06-18 Bonnierfoeretagen Ab Device for shrinking a wrapper, consisting of a plastic sheeting shrinkable by heating, around a transport unit
JPS49124160A (fr) * 1972-12-27 1974-11-27
JPS5210149B2 (fr) * 1972-12-27 1977-03-22
US3944783A (en) * 1974-10-18 1976-03-16 Xerox Corporation High efficiency non-cavity radiant method and apparatus
US4126565A (en) * 1976-12-27 1978-11-21 Xerox Corporation Toners for color flash fusers containing a permanent colorant and a heat sensitive dye
US4444487A (en) * 1979-07-02 1984-04-24 Xerox Corporation Multiple-flash fuser
DE3017898A1 (de) * 1979-07-02 1981-01-22 Xerox Corp Verfahren zum blitzlichtschmelzen von tonerbildern auf kopiensubstrate und vorrichtung zum fixieren von tonerbildern
US4329045A (en) * 1980-04-09 1982-05-11 Xerox Corporation Illumination system for microfilm printer
US4504323A (en) * 1980-09-12 1985-03-12 Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Method for annealing semiconductors with a planar source composed of flash discharge lamps
US4711987A (en) * 1985-03-01 1987-12-08 Abbott Laboratories Heat source circuitry for biological material analysis
US4766288A (en) * 1987-08-17 1988-08-23 Xerox Corporation Flash fusing reflector cavity
US6417248B1 (en) * 1999-04-21 2002-07-09 Hewlett-Packard Company Preparation of improved inks for inkjet printers
US6894107B2 (en) 1999-04-21 2005-05-17 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Systems and methods for creating permanent images on substrates using ink-jet technology
US7304099B2 (en) 1999-04-21 2007-12-04 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Preparation of improved inks for inkjet printers
US20060083872A1 (en) * 2004-10-20 2006-04-20 Radha Sen Ink solvent assisted heat sealable media
US7641961B2 (en) 2004-10-20 2010-01-05 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Ink solvent assisted heat sealable media
US20110067234A1 (en) * 2008-05-20 2011-03-24 Theis Daniel J Method for continuous sintering on indefinite length webs
US8720052B2 (en) 2008-05-20 2014-05-13 3M Innovative Properties Company Method for continuous sintering on indefinite length webs

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2002530A1 (fr) 1969-10-17
DE1908827B2 (de) 1980-04-17
BE728716A (fr) 1969-08-20
NL6902642A (fr) 1969-08-26
GB1252465A (fr) 1971-11-03
DE1908827C3 (de) 1981-01-29
DE1908827A1 (de) 1969-09-18

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