Abstract: A polyurethane-silica hybrid, or polyurethane-silica/silsesquioxane hybrid overcoat improves the life of the photoconductor drum without significantly altering the electrophotographic properties of the PC drum. Wear can be caused by a variety of factors, which include contact with the cleaner blade, paper, or intermediate transfer member or by erosion or scratching from toner components. The combination of hard and soft segments allows for a tough, wear resistant material with the added flexibility to prevent erosion from toner particles that are swept along the surface of the drum by the cleaner blade. A benzophenone ultraviolet absorber chemically linked to the silsesquioxane appears to inhibit room light fatigue and improve the electrostatic cycling of the PC drum. The overcoat also inhibits crazing.

Abstract: A charge transfer layer system that encapsulates or surrounds high viscosity silicone oils (polysiloxanes) using silicone microspheres, fluoropolymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene or inorganic particles such as silica, or metal soaps (zinc stearate). The encapsulation of the silicone oil results in aggregation or agglomeration of the silicone microspheres, fluoropolymers, or inorganic particles. The silicone oils have viscosity greater than 10,000 centistokes (cs) and the particles are about 6 ?m or less.

Abstract: A photoconductor having a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, the charge transport layer having hydrazone or aryl amine charge transport molecules and also having as room light protective additives acetosol yellow 5GLS and tetraphenylcyclopentadienone or 9-fluorenone. Preferably the amount of the acetosol yellow is 2 to 4 percent by weight of the weight of the charge transfer layer and the ratio of weight between the acetosol yellow and the dienone or fluorenone is in the range of 1:1 to 1:3.

Abstract: Printer has a standby state in which the motor driving the laser scanning mirror is turned off immediately after a print job when another page is not ready. To increase operating speed, a signal to the printer starts a timer (Ready timer). When a page is printed, the timer is started and only when it reaches zero is the motor turned off. When data of a page is received by the printer and the Ready timer is non-zero, a sheet is immediately picked for printing.

Abstract: Methods and image forming systems for approximating the value of a function given specified values of input data using a sparse lookup table. Individual samples are quantized and rounded up or down to an adjacent lattice point of the lookup table. Rather than performing multiple lookup table accesses, which are required using conventional linear interpolation, the disclosed data processing techniques require as few as one lookup table access per sample. The quantized samples are obtained by truncating one or more least significant bits, designated as masked bits, such that the most significant, or index bits, remain. For each sample, the value of an individual one of the masked bits is examined by comparing it with a corresponding entry in a mask array to determine whether the index bits are to be incremented prior to being used as an index to the lookup table.

Abstract: To reduce show through, particularly for color pigments, a particulate negative metal oxide. Specifically in an anionic ink, tin oxide of primary particle size in the range of about 10 to 30 nm, is incorporated in inkjet inks in amount of less than 2 percent by weight of the total weight of the ink.

Abstract: An inkjet ink of exceptional overall color characteristics having about 4% by weight Direct Yellow 132 in acid form, about 1% by weight Acid Yellow 17 in acid form in water, also having a humectant, a penetrant and other generally known additives. The ink having chroma of at least about 108.5.

Abstract: A light-resistant, metal complex dye for inkjet printing comprising a substituted 8-heterocyclic azo-5-aminoquinoline of the following structural formula:

Abstract: A method of calibrating an electrophotographic machine having an image-bearing surface includes estimating a reflectivity of the image-bearing surface based upon an amount of usage of the electrophotographic machine. At least one electrophotographic condition is adjusted dependent upon the estimating step.

Abstract: The present invention provides pigmented inks comprising self-dispersing pigment and an amino-containing compound. The addition of an amino-containing compound to the self-dispersing pigment can improve the reliability and performance of the ink in an inkjet printhead. The present invention also provides methods for making a surface modified pigment comprising associating a self-dispersing pigment with an amino-containing compound having no more than one primary amino group or one secondary amino group.

Abstract: Toner is rounded by vigorously mixing less than about 5 percent by weight of particulate silica to the total weight of a starting toner in a closed, recirculating air system. The starting toner contains at least about 4.5 percent by weight of the starting toner of a wax and additionally contains at least 5 percent by weight of the starting toner of a softening agent. The temperature during the mixing is no more than 13 degrees C. above the onset of the glass transition temperature of the starting toner. The final toner comprises rounded starting toner having particulate silica embedded during the mixing process.

Abstract: A chemically prepared toner for electrophotographic printers and method therefor using a unique polymeric dispersant. The chemically prepared toner includes agglomerated polymeric dispersant stabilized pigment particles, a fuser release agent, a charge control agent dispersion, and a self-stabilized essentially surfactant free latex binder. The polymeric dispersant includes at least three segments, a hydrophilic polymeric segment, a hydrophobic polymeric segment, and a protective colloid or reactive surfactant segment. The weight average molecular weight range of the dispersant ranges from about 5,000 to about 30,000, and a hydrophobicity ranging from about 10 to about 90 percent by weight. The chemically prepared toner includes agglomerated toner particles have a unimodal particles size distribution with a number average particle size (N) ranging from about 5.0 to about 8.5 microns and a volume average particle size (V) ranging from about 5.0 to about 8.5 microns.

Abstract: This invention relates to polymeric dispersants useful in ink jet ink compositions. The graft polymers comprise monomers having electron rich functional groups, which exhibit favorable interactions with the surface of pigment particles thereby better stabilizing the pigment dispersion within the aqueous ink composition. The graft polymers also comprise hydrophobic monomers having the ability to form hydrogen bonding. The polymers of the present invention provide a dispersant that increases the smear resistance of pigmented inks, especially when used on photo or gelatin paper. The graft polymers also provide excellent chroma for printing. The present invention also relates to aqueous ink compositions which include those polymeric dispersants.

Abstract: A drive roller having a polyurethane coating that has a coefficient of friction with respect to a belt effective to drive the belt over the operative life of the belt. The drive roller may be included in an image-forming device to drive a belt.

Abstract: An apparatus for ink-jet printing including an ink-jet print head to jet ink, a coating solid, and a coating holder to support the coating solid, wherein the coating holder transfers a portion of the coating solid onto a medium to form a coating solid layer. The coating holder and coating solid may be combined in a removable cartridge. In addition, the medium may be an intermediate transfer medium, a media support medium, a transfer medium, or media, such as paper. A method for inkjet printing also includes applying a coating solid to a medium to form a layer of the coating solid, in a solid form, having predetermined thickness, and applying ink to the medium. The layer of coating solid may interact with the applied ink to destabilize colorant in the ink.

Abstract: A collimation assembly for use in a laser scanning unit is provided. Methods for aligning collimation and pre-scan assemblies in a laser scanning unit are further provided. Also provided are alignment structures for use in aligning collimation and pre-scan assemblies in a laser scanning unit.

Abstract: An entrance guide for externally fed sheet (4) to printer (1) is configured to bow the sheets. In one embodiment guides (5a, 5aa) within slot 7 have upper and lower configurations which force sheet into a bow. In one embodiment slot (7a) is bowed and is sufficiently narrow in height to only accept a bowed sheet. The bowed sheets do not sag against the printer (1), which aids in sheet registration.

Abstract: A magnetic roller for electrophotography comprises a foamed resin magnetic material. A method of producing a magnetic roller comprises the steps of providing magnetic filler, a resin binder and a foaming agent in a closed mold; activating the foaming agent in the closed mold; and removing the resulting formed roller from the mold.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pigment dispersion and a method of producing a pigment dispersion by grinding a grind mixture comprising a pigment, a humectant, water, and a polymeric dispersant. The invention also relates to an ink composition comprising an aqueous carrier and a pigment dispersion produced by grinding a grind mixture comprising a pigment, a humectant, water, and a polymeric dispersant. The invention also relates to an ink composition comprising a pigment, a polymeric dispersant, a humectant, a basic dye, an aqueous carrier, wherein the pH of the ink composition is less than or equal to 7.

Abstract: A laser scanning unit is provided comprising a housing; a scanning assembly including a scanning device; a first light beam source directing a first light beam toward the scanning device; a second light beam source directing a second light beam toward the scanning device; and first and second post-scan optical assemblies located to receive first and second scanning beams reflected from the scanning device. Each post-scan optical assembly may comprise a first, second and third fold mirror, a first f-theta lens located between the first and the second fold mirrors, and a second f-theta lens located to receive light reflected from the third fold mirror and outputting a compensated scanning beam for generating a scan line on a corresponding photoconductive member.