Abstract: A large area heater used, for example, in a laser printer belt fuser or as cooking surface, has an alumina substrate in which two bowed parts of alumina ceramic having opposed concave regions are formed together as a laminate. Electrical resistors are deposited on the laminate. The alumina laminate provides excellent resistance to uneven heating or other thermal stress. Alumina ceramic is readily shaped during manufacture and manufacturing costs and yield are good. A wide variety of large area heaters can usefully employ the laminate.

Abstract: A large area heater used, for example, in a laser printer belt fuser or as cooking surface, has an alumina substrate in which two bowed parts of alumina ceramic having opposed concave regions are formed together as a laminate. Electrical resistors are deposited on the laminate. The alumina laminate provides excellent resistance to uneven heating or other thermal stress. Alumina ceramic is readily shaped during manufacture and manufacturing costs and yield are good. A wide variety of large area heaters can usefully employ the laminate.

Abstract: A large area heater used, for example, in a laser printer belt fuser or as cooking surface, has an alumina substrate in which two bowed parts of alumina ceramic having opposed concave regions are formed together as a laminate. Electrical resistors are deposited on the laminate. The alumina laminate provides excellent resistance to uneven heating or other thermal stress. Alumina ceramic is readily shaped during manufacture and manufacturing costs and yield are good. A wide variety of large area heaters can usefully employ the laminate.

Abstract: A back-up roller for use in the fusing portion of an electrophotographic process is disclosed. This back-up roller comprises an inner cylindrical metal core, an outer hollow cylindrical metal shell surrounding the core, and a plurality of metal ribs running lengthwise between and attached to the core and the shell. The outer surface of the shell is coated with a layer of a rubberized material. This back-up roller, when used in the fuser portion of an electrophotographic process, reducing the condensation of moisture on its surface, thereby effectively eliminating fuser stalls.

Abstract: A back-up roller (51) for use in the fusing portion of an electrophotographic process is disclosed. This back-up roller has an inner cylindrical metal core (71), an outer hollow cylindrical metal shell (72) surrounding the core, and a plurality of metal ribs (73) running lengthwise between and attached to the core and the shell. The outer surface of the shell is coated with a layer (74) of a rubberized material. This back-up roller, when used in the fuser portion of an electrophotographic process, reducing the condensation of moisture on its surface, thereby effectively eliminating fuser stalls.

Abstract: A printer has a media feed path (12) for feeding sheets of media (14), with the path having a side reference edge (52) for aligning the media. A media transport mechanism feeds the sheets of media at a standard speed and at a reduced speed. A narrow media detector (38) generates a narrow media signal when sheets of narrow media are fed through the media feed path. A controller (68) adjusts the media transport mechanism to feed the narrow media aligned with the reference edge at the reduced speed. A method of printing sheets of narrow media in a printer comprises the steps of aligning the narrow media with a reference edge in a media feed path of the printer, sensing when the narrow media are present in the media feed path, and feeding the narrow media through the media feed path at the reduced sheet feeding speed and, particularly with a belt fuser, with increased inter-sheet gap.

Abstract: An image-fixing device for use in an electrophotographic process which includes a wiping member (61,62,64,67) in contact with the back-up roller of the fusing portion of the device is disclosed. This wiping member eliminates moisture condensation on the back-up roller (51). This acts to eliminate stalls and paper jams without requiring major reformulation of the compositions of the fuser belt or back-up roll or the structure of the printer.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing apparatus which eliminates overheating of the fuser belt when narrow gauge print media is utilized is disclosed. In this apparatus, a detection means determines whether a sheet of narrow gauge recording medium is being fed into the printer. When it is, the fuser heater is deactivated turned to a present lower temperature or is turned off when the narrow gauge recording medium exits the fusing nip. A preferred apparatus additionally contains means which measures the temperature of the heater once it is deactivated at predetermined intervals and, for each measurement, determines the amount of time required to bring the heater back up to the optimum fusing temperature. The preferred embodiment also includes a means for determining the amount of time it will take for the next piece of print media to travel from its current position to the fuser nip.

Abstract: A ceramic heater for use in an electrophotographic printing process, particularly for use with a belt fuser to fix toner images, is disclosed. This heater is preferably made from a ceramic material substrate and contains a heat-generating resistor and electrical connections for said resistor on one face of the substrate and a temperature-detecting element for detecting and controlling the temperature of said heater, together with electrical connections for said detecting element, on the opposing face of the substrate. Belt fusers, which incorporate these heaters, are also disclosed.