Abstract: In a fuser, a cooling structure (5) is disposed so that a bend angle (&agr;) of a part bent during the time between an endless belt (3) coming in contact with a press cooling face (5a) of the cooling structure (5) and exiting from the press cooling face (5a) is placed in the range of 0° C.<&agr;≦7° C. A fixing belt has a minute hardness of 0.1 to 5 at least on the belt surface coming in contact with toner T and preferably has a gloss degree of 75 or more on the belt surface.

Abstract: A sheet separation and feeding system for measuring substrate bending stiffness and thereby basis weight on a real time basis. Provided is a corrugator having a plurality of parallel ribs, with one or more sheets of the substrate provided below the corrugator wherein a predetermined gap exists between a topmost sheet of the sheets and the corrugator. A vacuum is applied between the corrugator and the topmost sheet, wherein the vacuum is sufficiently large to raise the topmost sheet, thereby deflecting and bending it into a profile corresponding to the arrangement and size of the corrugator ribs and bending stiffness of the substrate. One or more sensors are provided for measuring the deflection of the topmost sheet. The vacuum, an air knife output and/or a fluffer output are then adjusted according to predetermined rules and the measured deflection.

Abstract: A halftone cell is composed of a plurality of pixel groupings predefined to correspond to optimal tone level gradations. Selected output pixel groupings vary in number, and in shape of subpixels used from other pixel groupings, in order that successive input levels correspond to successive halftone cells defining substantially equal changes in a measured darkness value. Tone level gradations are optimized by purposeful correlation of input levels to output levels, especially where the number of output levels exceeds the number of input levels. During optimization, a calibration sample is produced by the image output device and calibration elements are empirically measured. Darkness change between successive levels is calculated and compared. Where the percentage of darkness change exceeds a desired amount, additional calibration elements are produced until the change calculated between successive levels is substantially the same.

Abstract: A method and apparatus have been provided for directing toner from a hopper containing a supply of toner to fill as well as cleanly cutoff filling of a container without post-cutoff dribbling. The apparatus for the method includes (a) a conduit member connected to the hopper and having a discharging end for permitting a toner to be moved therethrough; (b) a conveyor device located at least partially within the conduit member for moving the toner from the hopper in a toner moving direction towards the container; and (c) an anti-dribbling nozzle device for directing the toner from the conveyor to cleanly fill the container. The anti-dribbling nozzle device includes a source of pressurized air, a controller, and a nozzle member that has a first end connected to the discharge end of the conduit member, a second and opposite end for dispensing moving toner into the container, and a nozzle wall connecting the first end to the second thereof.

Abstract: Geometric configurations for photosites found on photosensitive chips for creating electrical signals from an original image, as would be found, for example, in a digital scanner, copier, printer, facsimile machine, or other document generating or reproducing device. The photosensitive chips are mounted on a substrate to form a photosensitive array in a full width scanner or other photosensitive device. The geometric configurations reduce the Moiré patterns to provide a higher quality image.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for reducing two-color moiréoften found during the rendering of full color images using halftoning techniques, by providing shared screen angles between distinct color separations.

Abstract: A registration detection system for determining a registration problem in an apparatus having an optical reader adapted to scan a document. The system comprising a test pattern generator and a mixer for combining an output of the test pattern generator with an output of the optical reader.

Abstract: A color toner for electrophotography, preferably used as a flash fixing toner which can be processed at a high speed, and exhibit excellent fixing property, high image resolution (image reproducibility) when fixed, and color reproducibility by color overlapping, and having a preferable color tone, with which a multi-color image can be formed. The color toner for electrophotography is used for the extreme bottom layer of a multi-color image comprised of laminating at least two types of toners that are selected from black toner, magenta toner, yellow toner, and cyan toner, and contains a coloring agent and an infrared ray absorbent, the color toner for electrophotography has a contrast ratio in the range of 35% to 95%.

Abstract: A system for printing glyph frames around known obstructions. All frames in an area are determined to be obstructed or unobstructed, based on their location with respect to other printed areas. The unobstructed locations can be numbered and glyph data printed within. In the alternative, the good locations can be numbered modulo some number much smaller that the number of available locations to provide redundancy. The unobstructed locations can be stored in either the sync lines or in the data area of other locations known to be unobstructed. Also, the frame itself can be identified as obstructed or unobstructed to provide more redundancy.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a printing system of an ink jet printer that can obtain a sufficient image density by suppressing a feathering. When one dot line is drawn and that line width is assumed to be “x” and a resolution in a main scanning direction is assumed to be “a” and a resolution in a sub scanning direction is assumed to be “b”, the ink satisfying the condition that x=(a2+b2)½ and a TEP value of the one dot line is 10 or less is used.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for encoding and decoding a document containing machine-readable code overlaid by human-readable content such that the code and the human-readable content are both discernable. In operation, a background image is generated, wherein the background image comprises coded glyphtone cells based on grayscale image data values, each of the halftone cells comprising one of at least two distinguishable patterns. The background image is overlaid with a second image such that some visible glyphtone cells may be decoded and the second image may be viewed. Finally, the decoded information enables comparison of aspects of the second image with a predetermined nominal reference.

Abstract: A pin grid array insertion and extraction tool is disclosed that is used to both insert and extract pin grid array connectors. The tool comprises a rigid window frame defined by bars connected to handles wherein the bars define straight slots and ramped slots on an elongated side that engage tabs and sliders of a header and socket of a pin grid array connector. The ramped slots are used to generate mechanical advantage and bring the insertion force seen by an operator's hand down to reasonable levels when engaging or disengaging connector pins to or from their mating receptacles. By using ramped slots the insertion and extraction tool can be made very compact in almost every dimension.

Abstract: A method for measuring substrate bending stiffness and thereby basis weight on a real time basis. Provided is a corrugator having a plurality of parallel ribs, with one or more sheets of the substrate provided below the corrugator wherein a predetermined gap exists between a topmost sheet of the sheets and the corrugator. A vacuum is applied between the corrugator and the topmost sheet, wherein the vacuum is sufficiently large to raise the topmost sheet, thereby deflecting and bending it into a profile corresponding to the arrangement and size of the corrugator ribs and bending stiffness of the substrate. One or more sensors are provided for measuring the deflection of the topmost sheet. The vacuum, an air knife output and/or a fluffer output are then adjusted according to predetermined rules and the measured deflection.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a plurality of image forming units for forming images in various colors, and transfers images formed by these image forming units onto a transfer belt an overlapping manner. The image forming apparatus includes a control unit for outputting a predetermined control signal in order to form a color-shift detecting pattern with respect to the transfer belt by employing a plurality of these image forming units, and a pattern detecting sensor for reading the color-shift detecting pattern formed on the transfer belt by this control unit. Under normal operation, the control unit controls forming operation of color-shift detecting patterns by using only commonly-used color image forming units, while the control unit does not form a color-shift detecting pattern by using a specific-color image forming unit.

Abstract: An ink stick for use in a solid ink feed system of a phase change ink jet printer includes a three dimensional ink stick body that has a lateral center of gravity, a substantially horizontal perimeter, and opposed end surfaces. An ink stick guide element is formed in the bottom of the ink stick body, and the ink stick is adapted to travel through the feed channel along a feed channel guide rail. A portion of the ink stick perimeter forms a visually recognizable symbol, and a portion of the ink stick perimeter that is transverse to the feed direction of the channel has an insertion key element. Nesting elements are formed in the leading and trailing end surfaces of the ink stick body to nest with one another when ink sticks abut in the feed channel.

Abstract: Each ink stick of a set of ink sticks for a phase change ink jet printer has formed on the top of the ink stick a three dimensional visually recognizable symbol. At least a portion of the visually recognizable symbol on each of the ink sticks is different, so that the printer user can distinguish which ink stick is intended for each of the ink feed channels of the ink jet printer.

Abstract: A MEMS system including a fixed electrode and a suspended moveable electrode that is controllable over a wide range of motion. In traditional systems where an fixed electrode is positioned under the moveable electrode, the range of motion is limited because the support structure supporting the moveable electrode becomes unstable when the moveable electrode moves too close to the fixed electrode. By repositioning the fixed electrode from being directly underneath the moving electrode, a much wider range of controllable motion is achievable. Wide ranges of controllable motion are particularly important in optical switching applications.