Patents by Inventor Fangsheng Wu
Fangsheng Wu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9798273Abstract: A fuser assembly comprising an endless fuser belt having positioned internally within a first metal roll having a heat pipe, a second metal roll having a first heating element, and a second heating element disposed between the first and the second metal rolls. The endless fuser belt is disposed proximate to a backup roll for forming a fusing nip therewith, wherein a rotation of the backup roll moves the fuser belt and rotates the first and the second metal rolls. The second metal roll is positioned upstream of the first metal roll relative to a media process direction. The first heating element has a rated heating power greater than the rated heating power of the second heating element.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventor: Fangsheng Wu
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Publication number: 20170277088Abstract: A fuser assembly comprising an endless fuser belt having positioned internally within a first metal roll having a heat pipe, a second metal roll having a first heating element, and a second heating element disposed between the first and the second metal rolls. The endless fuser belt is disposed proximate to a backup roll for forming a fusing nip therewith, wherein a rotation of the backup roll moves the fuser belt and rotates the first and the second metal rolls. The second metal roll is positioned upstream of the first metal roll relative to a media process direction. The first heating element has a rated heating power greater than the rated heating power of the second heating element.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2017Publication date: September 28, 2017Inventor: Fangsheng Wu
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Patent number: 9665047Abstract: A fuser assembly comprising an endless fuser belt having positioned internally within a first metal roll having a heat pipe, a second metal roll having a first heating element, and a second heating element disposed between the first and the second metal rolls. The endless fuser belt is disposed proximate to a backup roll for forming a fusing nip therewith, wherein a rotation of the backup roll moves the fuser belt and rotates the first and the second metal rolls. The second metal roll is positioned upstream of the first metal roll relative to a media process direction. The first heating element has a rated heating power greater than the rated heating power of the second heating element.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2016Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventor: Fangsheng Wu
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Patent number: 9529311Abstract: A fuser assembly, including a fuser roller receiving heat from a heating element and including a metal core, a heat insulation elastic layer disposed around the metal core, and a top release layer disposed over the heat insulation elastic layer. A backup belt assembly, coupled to the fuser roller, includes at least two nip forming rollers contacting an inner surface of an endless belt to form an elongated fusing nip along the fuser roller. A first nip forming roller engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an entrance of the elongated fusing nip and a second nip forming roller engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an exit of the elongated fusing nip, wherein a product of a Young's Modulus of the top release layer and a thickness thereof is between about 2,000 and about 20,000 N/m.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2016Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventors: Michael Clark Campbell, Charles Scott McDavid, Fangsheng Wu
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Publication number: 20160209790Abstract: A fuser assembly, including a fuser roller receiving heat from a heating element and including a metal core, a heat insulation elastic layer disposed around the metal core, and a top release layer disposed over the heat insulation elastic layer. A backup belt assembly, coupled to the fuser roller, includes at least two nip forming rollers contacting an inner surface of an endless belt to form an elongated fusing nip along the fuser roller. A first nip forming roller engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an entrance of the elongated fusing nip and a second nip forming roller engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an exit of the elongated fusing nip, wherein a product of a Young's Modulus of the top release layer and a thickness thereof is between about 2,000 and about 20,000 N/m.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2016Publication date: July 21, 2016Inventors: Michael Clark Campbell, Charles Scott McDavid, Fangsheng Wu
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Patent number: 9348273Abstract: A belt fuser assembly which dispenses lubricant oil or other depleted lubricant component to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The belt fuser assembly may include a lubricant dispenser positioned to be heated by the heating element of the fuser assembly for dispensing a lubricant oil to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The lubricant dispenser may include a reservoir containing the lubricant oil and an exit port for delivering the lubricant oil from the reservoir to the inner surface of the fuser belt upon the reservoir being heated by the heating element at a temperature above the fusing temperature of the belt fuser assembly.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2014Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Donald Eugene Proffitt, Fangsheng Wu
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Patent number: 9298144Abstract: A backup belt assembly includes an endless belt, at least a pair of nip forming rollers contacting an inner surface of the endless belt and positioned relative to the fuser roller to provide pressure to a section of an outer surface of the fuser roller adjacent the endless belt so as to form an elongated fusing nip along the section. A first roller of the pair of nip forming rollers engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an entrance of the elongated fusing nip, while a second roller of the pair of nip forming rollers engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an exit of the elongated fusing nip. The first roller provides a lower amount of pressure to the fuser roller relative to the pressure provided by the second roller. A supporting roller may be disposed within the endless belt near the entrance of the elongated fusing nip for providing acceptable media entry geometry.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Peter Alden Bayerle, Jeffery James Buchanan, Michael Clark Campbell, Benjamin Karnik Johnson, Charles Scott McDavid, Fangsheng Wu
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Patent number: 9261833Abstract: A fuser assembly for an imaging device is shown and described. The fuser assembly includes a heat transfer member for generating heat and a backup roll coupled to the heat transfer member and rotatable therewith. The backup roll includes a central core and a rubber layer surrounding the central core. The fuser assembly further includes a plurality of end cap members, each end cap member being disposed at an end of the backup roll and dimensioned for substantially preventing outward expansion of the rubber layer in an axial direction of the backup roll.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2014Date of Patent: February 16, 2016Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Douglas Campbell Hamilton, Fangsheng Wu, Michael Alan Cleary
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Patent number: 9075354Abstract: A belt fuser assembly which dispenses lubricant oil or other depleted lubricant component to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The belt fuser assembly may include a lubricant dispenser positioned to be heated by the heating element of the fuser assembly for dispensing a lubricant oil to the inner surface of the fuser belt. A controller coupled to the heating element activates the heating element to generate heat at a fusing temperature during a fusing operation and at at least one second temperature greater than the fusing temperature during a lubricant dispensing operation so as to cause lubricant to dispense from the lubricant dispenser.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2013Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Donald Eugene Proffitt, Fangsheng Wu
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Publication number: 20150185672Abstract: A backup belt assembly includes an endless belt, at least a pair of nip forming rollers contacting an inner surface of the endless belt and positioned relative to the fuser roller to provide pressure to a section of an outer surface of the fuser roller adjacent the endless belt so as to form an elongated fusing nip along the section. A first roller of the pair of nip forming rollers engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an entrance of the elongated fusing nip, while a second roller of the pair of nip forming rollers engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an exit of the elongated fusing nip. The first roller provides a lower amount of pressure to the fuser roller relative to the pressure provided by the second roller. A supporting roller may be disposed within the endless belt near the entrance of the elongated fusing nip for providing acceptable media entry geometry.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2013Publication date: July 2, 2015Applicant: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Peter Alden Bayerle, Jeffery James Buchanan, Michael Clark Campbell, Benjamin Karnik Johnson, Charles Scott McDavid, Fangsheng Wu
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Patent number: 9069297Abstract: A belt fuser assembly which dispenses lubricant oil or other depleted lubricant component to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The belt fuser assembly may include a lubricant dispenser positioned to be heated by the heating element of the fuser assembly for dispensing a lubricant oil to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The lubricant dispenser may include a reservoir containing the lubricant oil and an exit port for delivering the lubricant oil from the reservoir to the inner surface of the fuser belt upon the reservoir being heated by the heating element at a temperature above the fusing temperature of the belt fuser assembly.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2013Date of Patent: June 30, 2015Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Donald Eugene Proffitt, Fangsheng Wu
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Publication number: 20150117921Abstract: A belt fuser assembly which dispenses lubricant oil or other depleted lubricant component to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The belt fuser assembly may include a lubricant dispenser positioned to be heated by the heating element of the fuser assembly for dispensing a lubricant oil to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The lubricant dispenser may include a reservoir containing the lubricant oil and an exit port for delivering the lubricant oil from the reservoir to the inner surface of the fuser belt upon the reservoir being heated by the heating element at a temperature above the fusing temperature of the belt fuser assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2014Publication date: April 30, 2015Inventors: Donald Eugene Proffitt, Fangsheng Wu
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Publication number: 20150110534Abstract: A fuser assembly for an imaging device is shown and described. The fuser assembly includes a heat transfer member for generating heat and a backup roll coupled to the heat transfer member and rotatable therewith. The backup roll includes a central core and a rubber layer surrounding the central core. The fuser assembly further includes a plurality of end cap members, each end cap member being disposed at an end of the backup roll and dimensioned for substantially preventing outward expansion of the rubber layer in an axial direction of the backup roll.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2014Publication date: April 23, 2015Inventors: Douglas Campbell Hamilton, Fangsheng Wu, Michael Alan Cleary
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Publication number: 20150063836Abstract: Disclosed is a method of conditioning a fusing member having a top-release layer. The method includes heating the top-release layer to at least the melting temperature of the top-release layer while rotating the fusing member and while no pressure member engages the top-release layer, and cooling the top-release layer to less than the melting temperature of the top-release layer while rotating the fusing member. Other methods and devices are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2013Publication date: March 5, 2015Applicant: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Fangsheng Wu, Benjamin Karnik Johnson, Charles Scott McDavid, Jennifer Lyn Gordon
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Publication number: 20140241748Abstract: A belt fuser assembly which dispenses lubricant oil or other depleted lubricant component to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The belt fuser assembly may include a lubricant dispenser positioned to be heated by the heating element of the fuser assembly for dispensing a lubricant oil to the inner surface of the fuser belt. A controller coupled to the heating element activates the heating element to generate heat at a fusing temperature during a fusing operation and at at least one second temperature greater than the fusing temperature during a lubricant dispensing operation so as to cause lubricant to dispense from the lubricant dispenser.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2013Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Donald Eugene Proffitt, Fangsheng Wu
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Publication number: 20140241763Abstract: A belt fuser assembly which dispenses lubricant oil or other depleted lubricant component to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The belt fuser assembly may include a lubricant dispenser positioned to be heated by the heating element of the fuser assembly for dispensing a lubricant oil to the inner surface of the fuser belt. The lubricant dispenser may include a reservoir containing the lubricant oil and an exit port for delivering the lubricant oil from the reservoir to the inner surface of the fuser belt upon the reservoir being heated by the heating element at a temperature above the fusing temperature of the belt fuser assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2013Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.Inventors: Donald Eugene Proffitt, Fangsheng Wu
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Patent number: 8718526Abstract: An externally heated fuser roller to achieve good fusing performance, long life and relatively quick warm-up time. The fuser roller is made up of a metal core, an insulation elastic layer, a heat transport layer and optionally a release layer such that the thickness of the heat transport layer is in the range of about 0.25 and about 1 mm, the effusivity value of the heat transport layer be equal to or greater than about 800 W?s(m2K), the total thermal capacity of the heat transport layer is less than about 200 J/m K, and the effusivity value of the insulation elastic layer is less than about 400 W?s(m2K).Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Fangsheng Wu, Scott Shiaoshin Wu
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Publication number: 20120308281Abstract: An externally heated fuser roller to achieve good fusing performance, long life and relatively quick warm-up time. The fuser roller is made up of a metal core, an insulation elastic layer, a heat transport layer and optionally a release layer such that the thickness of the heat transport layer is in the range of about 0.25 and about 1 mm, the effusivity value of the heat transport layer be equal to or greater than about 800 W?s(m2K), the total thermal capacity of the heat transport layer is less than about 200 J/m K, and the effusivity value of the insulation elastic layer is less than about 400 W?s(m2K).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2011Publication date: December 6, 2012Inventors: Fangsheng Wu, Scott Shiaoshin Wu
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Patent number: 7672631Abstract: A heater element is provided adapted to heat a belt in a fuser assembly. The heater element comprises laterally spaced-apart first and second features. The first feature may have a first inner surface and the second feature may have a second inner surface facing the first inner surface. Preferably, at least a majority portion of at least one of the first and second inner surfaces is positioned at an oblique angle relative to a reference line extending substantially perpendicular to a path a substrate moves along as it passes through the fuser assembly.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2006Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.Inventors: Russell Edward Lucas, Katherine Mary Mulloy, Jerry Wayne Smith, Fangsheng Wu
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Publication number: 20080317522Abstract: A fuser assembly includes a first end cap, and a second end cap spaced apart from the first end cap along an axis orthogonal to a sheet feed direction. A fuser belt is positioned between and supported by the first end cap and the second end cap to rotate around the axis in a belt moving direction at the nip corresponding to the sheet feed direction. A heater assembly is located in the hollow interior of the fuser belt. A plurality of ribs is positioned to contact the interior surface of the fuser belt. A first rib is connected to one of the first end cap and the heater assembly. A second rib is connected to one of the second end cap and the heater assembly. Each of the plurality of ribs is oriented to longitudinally extend at an acute angle with respect to the belt moving direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2007Publication date: December 25, 2008Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Ardery, Jason Kyle Romain, Jerry Wayne Smith, Fangsheng Wu