Abstract: A method of calibrating an electrophotographic machine having an image bearing surface includes depositing a toner patch on the image-bearing surface. The toner patch has a nominal coverage that varies substantially continuously from end to end. Light is emitted onto a selected one of the areas of the toner patch. An amount of light that is reflected off of the selected one area of the toner patch is measured. The emitting and measuring steps are repeated for each of a plurality of different areas of the toner patch. At least one electrophotographic condition is adjusted. The adjusting is dependent upon the measuring steps.

Abstract: A toner patch sensor arrangement in an electrophotographic machine includes a substantially hollow chamber having a reflective interior surface, a first opening exposing a toner patch, a second opening and a third opening. A light emitting element emits light onto the toner patch through the first opening and the second opening. A light detecting element receives through the third opening light reflected off of the toner patch such that the reflected light is received only after the light has also reflected off the interior surface of the chamber.

Abstract: A system and method for manipulating the private settings of a peripheral device where the system includes at least one host computer and a peripheral device in a communication interface. The peripheral device has a data store including setting data for public settings of a peripheral device and private settings of the peripheral device that are implicated in the public settings, and has a variable manager that is in communication with the data store of the peripheral device. The host computer transmits a data packet including one or more public settings for of the peripheral device across the communication interface and the variable manager receives the data packet and retrieves the setting data from the data store in response to receipt of the data to packet. The variable manager processes the data packet and manipulates one or more of the private settings of the peripheral device.

Abstract: A print system comprises a printer including a printer controller. One or more optional support devices are associated with the printer, wherein each optional support device includes a device controller. The system further includes a bi-directional serial communications path, including one or more trunklines, which provides serial electrical interconnection between the printer controller and each device controller of each optional support device of the system. The printer controller automatically assigns a unique device address to each optional support device. Each optional support device further includes logic circuitry which, based upon a command of the printer controller, enables passage of information generated by the printer controller through a first optional support device to a next electrically serially connected optional support device following an assignment of a first device address to the first optional support device.

Abstract: Laser printers are designed assuming the actual laser operates at nominal values which are the average or central values of a large batch of such lasers. The nominal values are determined and stored in permanent memory. Similarly, the values of the laser actually in the printer are determined during manufacture and also stored in permanent memory. Data to the laser is adjusted to correlate the output called for by the data with the differences in response of the laser of the printer by determining the optical output called for by the data using the nominal values stored and then finding the power needed to achieve the same output using the actual values stored. This is particularly useful with extreme duty cycles.

Abstract: Toner (5) is measured in a toner cartridge (1) by compressing the air in the upper part (7) of the toner hopper (3). The result of the compression is observed by a diaphragm (13) or, alternatively, by a pressure transducer (25). The volume of air is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency of diaphragm (13) or the pressure at pressure transducer (25). This is converted by control system (23) using direct equations or table look-up of empirical data. The diaphragm (13) carries a magnet (15), which is driven by coil (19) from the imaging device and then frequency of current induced by magnet (15) is then sensed by coil (19). Uneven toner piling is not a significant factor in the results measured.

Abstract: A printer has its software controlling the selection of each of its output bins for receiving printed sheets in accordance with the type of media printed. Each type of media has its printed sheets directed to a specific output bin. An output bin may receive sheets of more than one type of media, but the printed sheets of each type of media will be directed to only one output bin or logically linked output bins.

Abstract: A method of making a coating formulation prior to its introduction onto a web to be printed by an ink jet printer. The method includes the steps of: determining the nature and amount of undesirable substances in a component of the coating formulation, adjusting the pH of the component, contacting the pH adjusted component with a first activated carbon material, filtering the thus treated component, contacting the thus treated component with a second activated carbon material, and filtering the thus treated component and combining it with other components of the coating formulation to yield a treated coating formulation having a reduced amount of the undesirable substances.

Abstract: An electrophotographic machine includes a mirror having a reflective surface with a fold line configured to reflect a laser beam. At least one fixed mounting device is provided having a support surface. At least one rotational device is attached to the mirror. The at least one rotational device has an arcuate surface defining an imaginary circle and engages the support surface of the at least one fixed mounting device. The imaginary circle has a center substantially coincident with the fold line of the reflective surface. The at least one rotational device is configured to rotate about the center of the imaginary circle to thereby rotate the mirror about the fold line.

Abstract: A diverter to direct media within an image forming apparatus along one of three media paths. A first gate and a second gate are positioned in an overlapping arrangement and each is movable between up and down positions. Each of the gates includes a biasing member to bias the gates towards the down position. An actuator contacts the second gate to move it to the up position. The overlapping arrangement of the first and second gates causes the first gate to also be moved to the up position when the second gate moves to the up position. A second actuator contacts the first gate to move the gate from the down position to the up position independently of the second gate.

Abstract: Before warm-up of a printer, sheets are initially fed for printing based on a normal assumed lock time for rotation of polygonal mirror (116) of a laser printhead (100). After an initial printing when in a mode in which the printer is warmed, such as a standby mode, sheets are fed for printing based on a lock time shorter than the normal lock time. When a lock time failure is observed when using the shorter lock time, use of the longer lock time is resumed. Time to begin printing is improved by the use of the shorter lock time.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image forming apparatus has defined therein a longitudinal or process direction, and includes plural photoconductive drums, each having an image forming surface. Multiple printhead units are provided for generating image information bearing laser beams. Each printhead unit includes optics for scanning the laser beam to form a plurality of scan lines extending across the corresponding photoconductive drum in a transverse scan direction which traverses the process direction. Registration of a scan line from one printhead with a corresponding scan line from another printhead in the process direction is achieved by adjusting the time required to translate one of the scan lines from a location where it is electrostatically formed to a location where it is transferred to an image receiving medium. Adjustment of the translation time may be achieved by modifying the rotational speed of the associated drum.

Abstract: An improved intermediate belt system (ITM module) is provided, which controls the lateral motion of the belt in the scan direction of an EP printer, without the use of edge reinforcements or other attachments added to the belt. The tracking system of this ITM module is passive, and maintains roll alignment/parallelism within a predetermined tolerance while also maintaining roll conicity-end flare to a predetermined maximum diametral variation over the roll to minimize the effect of external forces on the belt walk rate. The ITM module also provides angled tracking guides near the tension roll to control the lateral position of the belt; the position of these tracking guides is adjustable at time of manufacture to achieve the desired lateral belt position.

Abstract: A single aligning roller is disposed at angle to each of two reference barriers to which a printed sheet is to be advanced so as to be aligned at a specific location for stapling. The aligning roller exerts a greater force towards the reference barrier further from the adjacent edge of the printed sheet to be aligned. The aligning roller is preferably at 66° to the reference barrier further from the adjacent edge of the printed sheet to be aligned.

Abstract: A process for preparing fuser belts in electrophotographic devices is disclosed. In this process the belt is coated, preferably using a vertical dip coating technique, with an aqueous solution containing a fluorocarbon polymer, such as Teflon, and a water-soluble polymer additive. Preferred additives include pectin, polyacrylic acid, and pectin/polyacrylic acid mixtures. This method provides efficient and effective vertical dip coating of the topcoat onto the fuser belt, particularly in terms of the uniformity of the coating, the stability of the coating dispersion, and the minimization of cracking when the coating is dried and sintered at high temperatures.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a multi-color electrophotographic machine having an image bearing surface includes forming toner patches of cyan, magenta, and yellow solid areas individually and in superimposed combination to form a series of single layer and multi-layer test patches. Light is emitted onto these single and multi-layer test patches. The amount of light that is reflected off of each test patch is measured. Light is also emitted onto a bare section of the image-bearing surface. The bare section has substantially no toner thereon. An amount of light that is reflected off of the bare section is measured. The step of measuring an amount of light reflected off single layer solid area test patches is repeated for a series of laser power and developer bias conditions. A laser power and/or a developer bias is adjusted dependent upon each of the three measuring steps.

Abstract: Sheets (57) exit printer (1) into finisher (3) where they are moved against perpendicular reference walls (61, 69) by frictional fingers (21, 23). The fingers are rotated away while a sheet is moved downward. Since the fingers are near their reference surface, buckling of the sheets normally does not occur, so the sheet stays in place. In an embodiment, the fingers move with a resilient force selected to be low enough so that the fingers stop when the sheet contacts the reference wall.

Abstract: Sheets (57) exit printer (1) into finisher (3) through corrugation rollers (13a-13d, 15a, 15b, 15aa, 15bb) encounter actuator tab (9a) to thereby rotate actuator (9) upward. Bails (11a-11b) are engaged by this and rotate upward. Each bail has a wing (11d, 11dd, 11e), which prevents curling. When the sheet is exited, gravity acting on the sheet and the actuator tab causes the sheet to drop. The bails also drop under gravity. The sheet is positioned to drop flat and near the exit, as intended for the finisher to form stacks of sheets.

Abstract: A pivotally mounted bail actuator is pivotally moved from its home position to an elevated position by the leading edge of a sheet of paper exiting from sheet path exit rollers of a printer. The pivotally mounted bail actuator has a wire bail extending for more than half of the sheet width. When the sheet exits from the sheet path exit rollers, both the pivotally mounted bail actuator and the sheet simultaneously fall by gravity, and the wire bail contacts the sheet to remove any longitudinal beam and to create a lateral beam extending the width of the sheet. A rear portion of the sheet falls onto an upper support surface with most of the sheet falling onto a lower support surface. If the sheet does not have a longitudinal beam, a lateral beam is created by the height difference of the two support surfaces on which the sheet is supported. The sheet is aligned on the upper support surface.

Abstract: A method of setting a plurality of margins in an electrophotographic machine includes setting a top margin for a reference color black by establishing a first time delay between a vertical synchronization signal and a first line. A right margin or a left margin for the reference color black is set by establishing a second time delay between a horizontal synchronization signal and a start of printing. The other of the right margin and the left margin is set by adjusting a scan speed of a laser beam across a photoconductive element and adjusting a process speed in the cross-scan direction including the speed of the photoconductive element, image accumulation member, and print medium. A bottom margin is set by adjusting the process speed. The other three color planes, cyan, magenta and yellow are then registered or aligned to the reference color plane, black.