US3770346A - Method and apparatus for fuser assembly cooling in an electrostatographic machine - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for fuser assembly cooling in an electrostatographic machine Download PDF

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Publication number
US3770346A
US3770346A US00235117A US3770346DA US3770346A US 3770346 A US3770346 A US 3770346A US 00235117 A US00235117 A US 00235117A US 3770346D A US3770346D A US 3770346DA US 3770346 A US3770346 A US 3770346A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
nip
fusing
gaseous medium
assembly
fuser
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
US00235117A
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English (en)
Inventor
W Jordan
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Xerox Corp
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Xerox Corp
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Publication date
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Publication of US3770346A publication Critical patent/US3770346A/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
    • G03G15/2014—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using contact heat
    • G03G15/2064—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for fixing, e.g. by using heat using heat using contact heat combined with pressure

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT An assembly having elongated slot disposed about the vicinity of a fuser assembly including a fuser roller. The gaseous medium about such vicinity is caused to be vented to the atmosphere by passage through such assembly by activating a fan in fluid communication on the suction side thereof with the assembly.
  • a xerographic surface comprising a layer of photoconductive insulating material affixed to a conductive backing is used to support electrostatic images.
  • the xerographic plate is electrostatically charged uniformly over its surface and then exposed to a light pattern of the image being produced to thereby discharge the charge in th he areas where light strikes the layer.
  • the undischarged areas of the layer thus form an electrostatic charge pattern in conformity with the configuration of the original light pattern.
  • the latent electrostatic image may then be developed by contactingitwith a finely divided electrostatically attractable material, such as a resinous powder.
  • a finely divided electrostatically attractable material such as a resinous powder.
  • the powder is held in the image areas by the electrostatic fields on the layer. Where the field is greatest, the greatest amount of material is deposited; and where the field is least, little or no material is deposited.
  • a powder image is produced in conformity with the light image of the copy being reproduced.
  • the powder is subsequently transferred to a sheet of paper or other surface and suitably affixed to thereby form a permanent print.
  • the toner may be fixedby passing the sheet of paper or other surface including the transferred image between a heated roller and a second roller in pressure contact therewith whereby the toner becomes fused to the sheet of paper.
  • the temperature to which the toner is generally raised is a temperature (for a given pressure) at which the toner particles coalesceor flow together and wet the paper surface to effect thereby a permanent bond.
  • the heated or fuser roller is generally a sleeve formed of a heat conductive material, for example, copper, whereas the contact or pressure roller is a sleeve having a thick outer layer of a resilient material, such as rubber coated with a protective layer of a heat resistant material, e.g., Teflon (available from DuPont).
  • a nip of sufficient width is developed to fix efficaciously the toner to the image receiving member.
  • the temperature to which the heated or fuserroller is raised is suffrciently high to cause a high humidity condition to exist about the vicinity of the nip of the fuser assembly and the post-fusing transport assembly which may deleteriously affect the post-fusing transport of an image receiving member as well as give rise to an overheating condition.
  • An object of this invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for removing the atmosphere in the vicinity of the nip of a fuser assembly.
  • Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for conditioning the image receiving member for subsequent transport after passage thereof through a fuser assembly.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an electrostatic reproduction machine embodying the principles of the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of the manifold assembly disposed in the vicinity of the nip of the fuser assembly;
  • FIG. 3 is a rear view of the manifold assembly
  • FIG. 4 is a top view of the manifold assembly including a schematic flow diagram of the method of operation thereof.
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the manifold fan activating means.
  • FIG. I For a general understanding of the illustrated copier/ reproduction machine in which the invention may be incorporated, reference is bad to FIG. I in which the various system components for the machine are schematically illustrated.
  • a document D to be copied is placed upon a transparent support platen P fixedly arranged in an illumination assembly, generally indicated by the reference number 10, positioned at the left end of the machine.
  • Light rays from an illumination system are flashed upon the document to produce image rays corresponding to the informational areas.
  • the image rays are projected by means of an optical system onto the photosensitive surface of a xerographic plate in the form of a flexible photoconductive belt 12 arranged on a belt assembly, generally indicated by the reference numeral 14.
  • the belt 12 comprises a photoconductive layer of selenium which is the light receiving surface and imaging medium for the apparatus, on a conductive backing.
  • the surface of the photoconductive belt is made photosensitive by a previous step of uniformly charging the I same by means of a corona generating device or corotron l3.
  • the belt is journaled for movement upon three rollers 20, 21 and 22 positioned with their axes in parallel.
  • the photoconductive belt assembly 14- is slidably mounted upon two support shafts 23 and 24 with the roller 22 rotatably supported on the shaft 23 which is secured to the frame of the apparatus and is rotatably driven by a suitable motor and drive assembly (nonot shown) in the direction of the arrow at a constant rate.
  • a suitable motor and drive assembly (nonot shown) in the direction of the arrow at a constant rate.
  • the portion exposed is that portion of the belt running between rollers 20 and 21.
  • the reflected light image of such original document positioned on the platen is flashed on the'surface of the belt to produce an electrostatic latent image thereon at exposure station A.
  • the electrostatic image passes through a developing station B in which there is positioned a developer assembly generally indicated by the reference numeral 15, and which provides development of the electrostatic image by means of multiple brushes 16 as the same moves through the developement zone.
  • the developed electrostatic image is transported by the belt to a transfer station C whereat a sheet of copy paper is moved between a transfer roller and the belt at a speedin synchronism with the moving belt in order to accomplish transfer of the developed image solely by an electrical bias on the transfer roller.
  • a sheet transport mechanism generally indicated at 17 adapted to transport sheets of paper from a' paper handling mechanism generally indicated by the reference numeral 18 to thedeveloped image on the belt at the station C.
  • the sheet After the sheet is stripped from the belt 12, itis conveyed into a fuser assembly, generally indicated by the reference numeral 19, wherein the developed and transferred xerographic powder image on the sheet material is permanently affixed thereto. After fusing, the reference numeral 19
  • a plenum chamber provided with an outlet means and an elongated inlet means, said inlet means having a dimension of about that of a nip formed by contact of said rollers,
  • a fuser assembly comprised of a I fuser roller 34 and a pressure roller 36.
  • the manifold assembly includes a generally S-shaped body (FIG. 2) 38 suitably affixed to a coupling 40 by flange 42, such as by nuts 44;.
  • the body is generally T-shaped presenting an elongated leading section 46 including an orifice 48 to be placed in juxtaposition to the nip of the fuser assembly as hereinabove discussed.
  • the coupling 40 is'in fluid communication with the suction side of a fan 50 via line 52.
  • the pressure side of the fan 50 is in fluid communi cation with the atmosphere.
  • a method for removing the gaseous medium about the nip of a fuser assembly including a fuser roller and a pressure roller which comprises:
  • a reproduction apparatus for producing copies of originals and incorporating fusing means to fuse images developed on said copies, said fusing means including a roller pair cooperating to form a hip through which said copies pass, at least one of said roller pair being heated, the improvement comprising:
  • manifold means having an elongated inlet slot disposed adjacent said fusing means nip to draw gaseous medium generated during fusing from the area of said fusing means nip, and
  • the reproduction apparatus including copy transport means adjacent the discharge side of saidfusing means nip, said manifold means inlet slot being disposed between said fusing means discharge and said transport means.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fixing For Electrophotography (AREA)
  • Control Or Security For Electrophotography (AREA)
  • Electrophotography Configuration And Component (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
US00235117A 1972-03-16 1972-03-16 Method and apparatus for fuser assembly cooling in an electrostatographic machine Expired - Lifetime US3770346A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US23511772A 1972-03-16 1972-03-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3770346A true US3770346A (en) 1973-11-06

Family

ID=22884172

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00235117A Expired - Lifetime US3770346A (en) 1972-03-16 1972-03-16 Method and apparatus for fuser assembly cooling in an electrostatographic machine

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3770346A (de)
JP (1) JPS495036A (de)
CA (1) CA1002582A (de)
DE (1) DE2304160C3 (de)
GB (1) GB1421863A (de)
NL (1) NL171634C (de)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3848988A (en) * 1973-06-11 1974-11-19 Xerox Corp Moisture control device
US3904786A (en) * 1972-11-30 1975-09-09 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd Process for fixing images by contact heating in a duplicator
US4025180A (en) * 1973-10-30 1977-05-24 Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha Transfer type electrophotographic copying apparatus
US4963942A (en) * 1987-08-20 1990-10-16 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Fixing device having blower for supplying a blast of air
US6219497B1 (en) * 1999-11-23 2001-04-17 Xerox Corporation Apparatus and method for reducing condensation in an image forming apparatus
US20080248196A1 (en) * 2007-04-05 2008-10-09 Xerox Corporation System and method for protecting a print

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2750485C2 (de) * 1977-11-11 1982-06-24 Agfa-Gevaert Ag, 5090 Leverkusen Elektrostatisches Kopiergerät
JPS5841542Y2 (ja) * 1978-12-26 1983-09-20 富士ゼロックス株式会社 加熱定着装置の加圧ロ−ラ冷却装置

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3149931A (en) * 1962-09-04 1964-09-22 Xerox Corp Xerographic vapor fusing apparatus
US3242316A (en) * 1962-10-13 1966-03-22 Lumoprint Zindler Kg Heat employing copying apparatus
US3390634A (en) * 1966-06-08 1968-07-02 Addressograph Multigraph Direct lithography master making
US3448970A (en) * 1967-08-04 1969-06-10 Addressograph Multigraph Fuser for electrostatic images
US3539161A (en) * 1968-05-24 1970-11-10 Xerox Corp Heat fixing apparatus for fusible material

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3502407A (en) * 1967-07-26 1970-03-24 Addressograph Multigraph Pneumatic delivery device
US3598486A (en) * 1968-02-16 1971-08-10 Minolta Camera Kk Drying device for electro photographic copying machines

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3149931A (en) * 1962-09-04 1964-09-22 Xerox Corp Xerographic vapor fusing apparatus
US3242316A (en) * 1962-10-13 1966-03-22 Lumoprint Zindler Kg Heat employing copying apparatus
US3390634A (en) * 1966-06-08 1968-07-02 Addressograph Multigraph Direct lithography master making
US3448970A (en) * 1967-08-04 1969-06-10 Addressograph Multigraph Fuser for electrostatic images
US3539161A (en) * 1968-05-24 1970-11-10 Xerox Corp Heat fixing apparatus for fusible material

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3904786A (en) * 1972-11-30 1975-09-09 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd Process for fixing images by contact heating in a duplicator
US3848988A (en) * 1973-06-11 1974-11-19 Xerox Corp Moisture control device
US4025180A (en) * 1973-10-30 1977-05-24 Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha Transfer type electrophotographic copying apparatus
US4963942A (en) * 1987-08-20 1990-10-16 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Fixing device having blower for supplying a blast of air
US6219497B1 (en) * 1999-11-23 2001-04-17 Xerox Corporation Apparatus and method for reducing condensation in an image forming apparatus
US20080248196A1 (en) * 2007-04-05 2008-10-09 Xerox Corporation System and method for protecting a print
US8182875B2 (en) * 2007-04-05 2012-05-22 Xerox Corporation System and method for protecting a print

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2304160C3 (de) 1978-03-02
NL171634B (nl) 1982-11-16
GB1421863A (en) 1976-01-21
JPS495036A (de) 1974-01-17
NL7303524A (de) 1973-09-18
NL171634C (nl) 1983-04-18
CA1002582A (en) 1976-12-28
DE2304160A1 (de) 1973-09-20
DE2304160B2 (de) 1977-07-07

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