Abstract: An improved fuser includes a heater using a solid-state heater element with high frequency field propagation to provide an effective increase in the energy conduction through the fusing belt allowing increased throughput rates over conventional conduction systems. The system employs a solid-state heater with internal circuitry to drive a high frequency field though the fuser belt to the elastomeric top coat, which is laced with high frequency receptors. The belt is then heated directly on the surface bypassing thermal conduction interfaces and is also simultaneously heated by conduction from the waste energy of the heater element.

Abstract: A fusing apparatus includes a heater that heats a fuser belt at a nip between the fuser belt and a pressure roll through which a sheet is conveyed to permanently fuse an image onto the sheet. The heater has a silicon wafer with a smooth side that contacts and heats the fuser belt at the nip, and circuitry at a second side, with the circuitry generating heat through the silicon wafer to heat the fuser belt. The circuitry may include a plurality of heat producing integrated circuits etched in the silicon wafer, with each heat producing integrated circuit configured to heat the fuser belt. Each integrated circuit may self-control its amount of heat produced to the silicon wafer, for example, by automatically switching back and forth between a heat-on-state and a heat-off-state to maintain a desired temperature within the silicon wafer that heats the fuser belt.

Abstract: A fusing apparatus includes a heater that heats a fuser belt at a nip between the fuser belt and a pressure roll through which a sheet is conveyed to permanently fuse an image onto the sheet. The heater has a silicon wafer with a smooth side that contacts and heats the fuser belt at the nip, and circuitry at a second side, with the circuitry generating heat through the silicon wafer to heat the fuser belt. The circuitry may include a plurality of heat producing integrated circuits etched in the silicon wafer, with each heat producing integrated circuit configured to heat the fuser belt. Each integrated circuit may self-control its amount of heat produced to the silicon wafer, for example, by automatically switching back and forth between a heat-on-state and a heat-off-state to maintain a desired temperature within the silicon wafer that heats the fuser belt.

Abstract: An improved fuser includes a heater using a solid-state heater element with high frequency field propagation to provide an effective increase in the energy conduction through the fusing belt allowing increased throughput rates over conventional conduction systems. The system employs a solid-state heater with internal circuitry to drive a high frequency field though the fuser belt to the elastomeric top coat, which is laced with high frequency receptors. The belt is then heated directly on the surface bypassing thermal conduction interfaces and is also simultaneously heated by conduction from the waste energy of the heater element.

Abstract: A fuser includes a fuser roll and a pressure roll that forms a nip between the rolls through which a sheet is conveyed to permanently fuse an image onto the sheet. The fuser roll includes a heater element having a single resistive trace, a common trace tapped to a first side of the resistive trace continuous across the resistive trace, and first and second conductive traces tapped to ends of the resistive trace at a second side of the resistive trace opposite the first side. The first and second conductive traces are physically separated and conductively segmented by a conductive gap between the conductive traces. The resistive trace includes a separation gap extending through the resistive trace continuously from the second side of the resistive trace at the conductive gap towards the first side of the resistive trace to prevent current flow between the segmented conductive traces.

Abstract: A fuser heater within a printing device includes a substrate with conductive traces and a resistive trace having a first end and a second end. The resistive trace is connected to the conductive traces at each of the first end and the second end and forms an electrical connection between the conductive traces and the resistive trace. A first strip is printed on the substrate using a first metal ink. A second strip is printed on the substrate using a second metal ink. The second strip is in contact with the first strip. The first metal ink is different from the second metal ink. The first strip and the second strip form a thermocouple. The thermocouple is operatively attached to the conductive traces. A controller operatively attached to the thermocouple controls the temperature of the fuser heater.

Abstract: A fuser includes a fuser roll and a pressure roll that forms a nip between the rolls through which a sheet is conveyed to permanently fuse an image onto the sheet. The fuser roll includes a heater element having a single resistive trace, a common trace tapped to a first side of the resistive trace continuous across the resistive trace, and first and second conductive traces tapped to ends of the resistive trace at a second side of the resistive trace opposite the first side. The first and second conductive traces are physically separated and conductively segmented by a conductive gap between the conductive traces. The resistive trace includes a separation gap extending through the resistive trace continuously from the second side of the resistive trace at the conductive gap towards the first side of the resistive trace to prevent current flow between the segmented conductive traces.

Abstract: An improved fuser includes a heater which provides uniformity at the surface of a fuser roll that contacts an imaged sheet. The heater is configured to include a new heating element consisting of a resistive trace flanked by conductive paths on either side in the process direction. On one end of the resistive trace is a single continuous conductive trace referred to as the common. On the other end resistive trace are three or more separate conductive traces to allow heating for different paper widths.

Abstract: Accordingly, an improved fuser is disclosed that includes a heater which provides uniformity at the surface of the fuser that contacts an imaged sheet by configuring a new heating element consisting of a resistive trace flanked by conductive paths on either side in the process direction. On one end of the resistive trace is a single continuous conductive trace referred to as the common. On the other end resistive trace are three or more separate conductive traces to allow heating for different paper widths. The resistive trace is augmented with dielectric circles to increase the overall resistivity of the heating element. Rows of dielectric can be offset from one another to insure overall thermal uniformity.

Abstract: A fuser heater within a printing device includes a substrate with conductive traces and a resistive trace having a first end and a second end. The resistive trace is connected to the conductive traces at each of the first end and the second end and forms an electrical connection between the conductive traces and the resistive trace. A first strip is printed on the substrate using a first metal ink. A second strip is printed on the substrate using a second metal ink. The second strip is in contact with the first strip. The first metal ink is different from the second metal ink. The first strip and the second strip form a thermocouple. The thermocouple is operatively attached to the conductive traces. A controller operatively attached to the thermocouple controls the temperature of the fuser heater.