Abstract: A heat and pressure fuser includes a thin web which is wrapped around a portion of a heated fuser roll to form a fusing area. The web contacts the fuser over a relatively short wrap angle to reduce torque required to drive the fuser roll, thereby enabling a higher process speed. Fusing efficiency is maintained by use of a biasing mechanism which increases the pressure applied to the web both the entrance and exit areas of the fuser.

Abstract: A low mass fuser roll fusing system incorporates a thin web member to maintain copy sheets in biased contact with a fuser roll during a fusing operation. The copy sheets are introduced to the fusing area at an entrance nip formed by a biasing assembly. The lead edge of the copy sheet is introduced into the entrance nip by a reciprocating mecahnism which moves, the web member and the copy sheet supported thereon into the entrance nip. The web member motion is then stopped and the copy sheet progresses through the fusing cycle until the copy sheet emerges from the fusing area, at which time the web member is returned to its original position.