Abstract: A print engine including a photosensitive belt which is an endless loop vertically mounted in the copier or printer housing. A photosensitive belt stretches over a pair of rollers such that the exterior of the surface of the belt defines a developing position for an electrostatic image in a substantial vertical plane. An exposure station in the copier housing focuses light on the developing position of the photosensitive belt forming the electrostatic image. Toner applied to the electrostatic image forms a developed image which is transferred to a second endless loop belt and subsequently communicated and fixed on an image receptor, such as paper. A second endless loop belt stretches between a first roller and a second roller. The first roller is vertically spaced-apart from the second roller. Each roller is horizontally and vertically off-set from one of the pair of rollers around which the photosensitive belt is stretched.

Abstract: A toner module has a mixing roller and a decorator roller. The decorator roller, which extends partially through a developer opening, has a partial magnetic core enclosed by a developer carrying sleeve. Developer is removed by orientating a nonmagnetic portion of the core toward the developer opening. The decorator roller is then rotated so that the sleeve carries the used developer over the nonmagnetic portion, thereby allowing the developer to fall out of the toner module. New developer is added by orientating the magnetic portion of the core to face the developer opening. The decorator roller is then rotated so that, as the sleeve rotates over the developer to be added, the magnetic force of the developer core pulls the developer onto the sleeve and into the toner module. Orientating a magnetic portion of the mixing roller proximate to the decorator roller causes the developer to be carried further into the toner module, so as to provide for more storage volume for the developer.

Abstract: In an electrophotographic system, a compact, space-efficient device is provided which allows adjustment and quick release of a photosensitive belt. An idler roller supporting the belt is used in conjunction with a cam which provides a take-up feature. A configuration is provided which allows the cam to be disengaged, and the idler roller retracted to facilitate removal of the belt.

Abstract: An electrophotographic print engine with a photosensitive flexible belt stretched over a plurality of rollers in a compact electrophotographic printer such that a developing position on the belt is disposed in a vertical plane, the developing position exposed first to a light on one side of the printer and activated to trace the image of the document to be printed and second passed vertically adjacent at least one toner module extending a decorator roller horizontally to the photosensitive belt on a second side of the printer to create a developed image, the developed image transferred at the upper end of the vertically disposed belt to the downward facing side of a sheet of paper which passes through a fuser to fix the print before the paper is placed facedown in an output tray, permitting the compact printer to create multi-page documents in sequence without manual re-sorting of the document, residual toner wiped from the vertically disposed belt to fall by gravity to a modular collection receptical.

Abstract: An improved fuser for use in an electrophotographic print engine having mutually compressible rollers for uniformity and thoroughly fused toner images. Also, the need for paper fingers to guide image receptor sheets is eliminated. The wear on the fixing device in the improved fuser is reduced by preventing binding of oil leveling blades, removing offset toner, and the use of oiling rollers in conjunction with oil leveling blades to apply oil to the fixing device. An improved fuser is also easily accessible and serviceable. The fusing device is contained within a clam-shell housing such that the fixing device and the compression device are separated when the housing opens thereby freeing jammed image receptor sheets and allowing convenient access for further service and repair. In addition, an oil wick, an oil tank, and the leveling blade comprise a subassembly which can be removed and replaced.

Abstract: Improved cleaning station for use in electrophotographic print engines which selectively removes toner from a transfer medium and has cleaning elements which are simple to remove, clean, and replace. The transfer medium cleaning station is equipped with a locking mechanism that allows inserting the cleaning station into and removing it from the print engine without scraping the transfer medium with the cleaning element.

Abstract: Improved cleaning stations for use in electrophotographic print engines having cleaning elements which are simple to inspect, remove, clean, and replace. The photoreceptor belt cleaning station is positioned in one frame of the print engine and the photoreceptor medium is positioned in the other frame of the print engine so that the cleaning station is directly accessible when the print engine is open. Also, when the print engine is closed, the photoreceptor medium contacts the cleaning elements at a substantially perpendicular angle resulting in minimum stress to both the photoreceptor medium and the cleaning elements.

Abstract: An improved toner module for use in an electrophotographic print engine. A decorator or developer roller with a rotatable core provides an apparatus for, and an improved method of, replacing developer. The decorator roller has a core that is partially magnetic and partially nonmagnetic. By rotating the decorator core to adjust the position of the non-magnetic portion of the decorator core, developer can be both removed and added without the use of any additional equipment. A mixing roller within the toner module provides for greater quantity of developer to be stored within the toner module. The disclosed toner module therefore has a greater capacity for storage of developer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling belt movement and separated image registration in a belt oriented full color double transfer electrophotographic print engine is disclosed. The photoreceptor and transfer belts have a ratio of lengths which is nominally equal to an integer. Independent servos control rotation of the belts driving each at a constant rotational period. The rotational periods are calculated so that their ratio is precisely equal to the above referenced integer value which is the nominal ratio of the belt lengths. A plurality of separated image creation and development control signals are provided under the control of an event timing clock. The event timing clock is preset to a predetermined modulo M value, M being the units of time for the targeted rotational period of the transfer belt, each time a reference pulse is provided from a reference station associated with the transfer belt indicating that a predetermined location on the transfer belt has arrived at the reference station.

Abstract: An improved full color electrophotographic print engine using flexible belts to carry a photosensitive electrostatic image developer and a transfer belt for building up composite developed images. Each belt, and an optical scanner, are driven by mechanically independent motors which are synchronized by an electronic digital controller implementing precise servos. The use of the flexible belts allows the machine to be relatively inexpensive, very small compared to previous full color print engines, and yet maintain precise registration of color composite images. An improved fuser mechanism with increased dwell time at constant machine speed is also shown. The fuser includes a pair of spaced-apart rollers, both of which urge a sheet of image receptor against the heated roller over a predetermined angular portion of the roller. The machine is specifically designed to be used interchangeably with an optical bench source as a copier or with a laser bench as a laser printer.

Abstract: Improved dual belt synchronization for a print engine for color electrophotography using a photoreceptor belt and a seamless transfer belt on which a composite image is built up. Improved synchronization of the two belt drives enhances image registration. A tension mechanism used in conjunction with the belts prevents rapid changes in the belt dimensions. An improved transfer belt cleaner system is synchronized with the belt drives such that excess toner is not left in the imaging area of the transfer belt.

Abstract: An improved full color electrophotographic print engine using flexible belts to carry a photosensitive electrostatic image developer and a transfer belt for building up composite developed images. Each belt, and an optical scanner, are driven by mechanically independent motors which are synchronized by an electronic digital controller implementing precise servos. The use of the flexible belts allows the machine to be relatively inexpensive, very small compared to previous full color print engines, and yet maintain precise registration of color composite images. An improved fuser mechanism with increased dwell time at constant machine speed is also shown. The fuser includes a pair of spaced-apart rollers, both of which urge a sheet of image receptor against the heated roller over a predetermined angular portion of the roller. The machine is specifically designed to be used interchangeably with an optical bench source as a copier or with a laser bench as a laser printer.

Abstract: An improved full color electrophotographic print engine using flexible belts to carry a photosensitive electrostatic image developer and a transfer belt for building up composite developed images. Each belt, and an optical scanner, are driven by mechanically independent motors which are synchronized by an electronic digital controller implementing precise servos. The use of the flexible belts allows the machine to be relatively inexpensive, very small compared to previous full color print engines, and yet maintain precise registration of color composite images. An improved fuser mechanism with increased dwell time at constant machine speed is also shown. The fuser includes a pair of spaced-apart rollers, both of which urge a sheet of image receptor against the heated roller over a predetermined angular portion of the roller. The machine is specifically designed to be used interchangeably with an optical bench source as a copier or with a laser bench as a laser printer.

Abstract: An improved full color electrophotographic print engine using flexible belts to carry a photosensitive electrostatic image developer and a transfer belt for building up composite developed images. Each belt, and an optical scanner, are driven by mechanically independent motors which are synchronized by an electronic digital controller implementing precise servos. The use of the flexible belts allows the machine to be relatively inexpensive, very small compared to previous full color print engines, and yet maintain precise registration of color composite images. An improved fuser mechanism with increased dwell time at constant machine speed is also shown. The fuser includes a pair of spaced-apart rollers, both of which urge a sheet of image receptor against the heated roller over a predetermined angular portion of the roller. The machine is specifically designed to be used interchangeably with an optical bench source as a copier or with a laser bench as a laser printer.

Abstract: An improved full color electrophotographic print engine using flexible belts to carry a photosensitive electrostatic image developer and a transfer belt for building up composite developed images. Each belt, and an optical scanner, are driven by mechanically independent motors which are synchronized by an electronic digital controller implementing precise servos. The use of the flexible belts allows the machine to be relatively inexpensive, very small compared to previous full color print engines, and yet maintain precise registration of color composite images. An improved fuser mechanism with increased dwell time at constant machine speed is also shown. The fuser includes a pair of spaced-apart rollers, both of which urge a sheet of image receptor against the heated roller over a predetermined angular portion of the roller. The machine is specifically designed to be used interchangeably with an optical bench source as a copier or with a laser bench as a laser printer.