Patents by Inventor MICHAEL THOMAS DOBBERTIN

MICHAEL THOMAS DOBBERTIN 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).

  • Publication number: 20130101308
    Abstract: Methods are provided for controlling airflow across a width of a charger support area having a charger housing supporting a corona charger that is proximate to a primary imaging member. In one method, a flow of air is provided proximate an inlet side of the charger housing area and a deflection surface is used to deflect the flow of air from a first direction to a second direction leading to an impact surface against which the flow of air is disbursed. The impact surface is outside of the width of the charger housing so that the air flow can supply a volume of disbursed air into the charger housing and primary imaging member that is sufficient to create a pressure that causes the disbursed air to move to an outlet on an opposite side of the area without directly exposing the charger or the primary imaging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Thomas Dobbertin
  • Publication number: 20130028643
    Abstract: Printers and cleaning systems are provided. A cleaning system has an actuator that moves the electrostatic imaging member in a second direction opposite the first direction and a frame positions a mounting within a first range of mounting distances from the electrostatic imaging member with the mounting holding a cleaning blade at a holding angle that causes a free length of the cleaning blade to extend along a first direction to position a cleaning end of the cleaning blade to engage the electrostatic imaging member for movement therewith. The electrostatic imaging member urges the cleaning end in the second direction to deflect the cleaning blade to extend along the second direction to position the cleaning end to wipe the electrostatic imaging member and the free length, the holding angle and the working angle cause the cleaning edge to wipe at a working angle between about 85 and 89 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Thomas Dobbertin, Francisco Luiz Ziegelmuller, James Douglas Shifley
  • Publication number: 20130028644
    Abstract: Electrophotographic printers and cleaning systems for an electrostatic imaging member are provided. In one aspect the cleaning system has a scraper a mounting holding the scraper so that a free length of the scraper extends from the mounting and a frame positioning the mounting relative to the electrostatic imaging member so that the scraper extends along a holding angle toward the electrostatic imaging member and so that the mounting is separated from the electrostatic imaging member by an extension distance along the holding angle that is less than the free length with the scraper resiliently deflecting to fit within the extension distance to define a working angle where the scraper contacts the electrostatic imaging member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Thomas Dobbertin, Francisco Luiz Ziegelmuller, James Douglas Shifley, Jean Marie Trost, James N. Alkins
  • Publication number: 20130028645
    Abstract: A multi-component duplex print is produced on a receiver. Master print engines and slave print engines synchronized to the masters are arranged along the transport path of the receiver with inverters between them. Each inverter has an inverted travel path and a non-inverted travel path, and a difference of a travel time of the receiver in the inverted travel path of each inverter as compared to a travel time of a receiver in the non-inverted travel path of that inverter is adjusted to be an integral multiple of a period between successive receivers. A received job specification designating a first assigned one of the print engines to print on a first assigned side of the receiver. A controller sets the positions of the inverters so the first assigned side of the moving receiver is the corresponding print side of the first assigned print engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Thomas Dobbertin, Timothy John Young
  • Publication number: 20130010312
    Abstract: Methods are provided for automatic cross-track density correction for a print engine having a print head that forms lines of picture elements on a receiver based upon lines of pixel values. In one aspect of the method, the print engine is caused to print a first print having a plurality of different areas along a cross-track direction with target densities and data is received from which measured densities for different ones of the plurality of different areas can be determined. A line density adjustment function is based upon a functional relationship between a cross track position of different ones of the areas and a difference between the measured density and the target density at the different ones of the areas. A production print is subsequently printed according to lines of pixel values for the production print modulated by the line density adjustment function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Inventors: Chung-Hui Kuo, Stacy M. Munechika, Michael Thomas Dobbertin
  • Publication number: 20130010313
    Abstract: Printers are provided having a print engine having a print head that forms lines of picture elements on a receiver based upon lines of pixel values and a controller that causes the print engine to print a first print having a plurality of different areas along a cross-track direction with target densities and that receives data from which measured densities for different ones of the plurality of different areas can be determined. The controller determines a line density adjustment function based upon a functional relationship between a cross-track position of different ones of the areas and a difference between the measured density and the target density at the different ones of the areas and subsequently prints a production print according to lines of pixel values for the production print modulated by the line density adjustment function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Inventors: Stacy M. Munechika, Michael Thomas Dobbertin, Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Publication number: 20120301165
    Abstract: A metering skive for a dry electrophotographic (EP) printer is mounted on a retractable skive mount. The skive mount is spring-loaded to a mounting block, and a stop pin sets the distance between the skive mount and the mounting block. A movable spacer with a plurality of laterally-separated regions of respective, different thicknesses is mounted between the head of the stop pin and the mounting block. A retractor can be operated to pull the skive mount towards the mounting block so the spacer can be moved to select a desired spacing between the mounting block and the skive mount, and thus a desired gap between the metering skive and the toning member in the printer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: MICHAEL THOMAS DOBBERTIN, David James Cornell, Henry Paul Mitchell, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120224899
    Abstract: Cleaning systems for an electrostatic imaging member and printers having cleaning systems are provided. In one aspect, a cleaning system has a wiper, a mounting holding the wiper so that an extension length of the wiper extends from the mounting and a frame positioning the mounting relative to the electrostatic imaging member so that the wiper extends along a holding angle toward the electrostatic imaging member and so that the mounting is separated from the electrostatic imaging member by an extension distance along the holding angle that is less than the extension length with the wiper resiliently bending to fit within the extension distance to define a working angle. The extension distance is within a range of extension distances that cause the working angle to be within a range of working angles that are greater than a range of working angles associated with a greater range of extension distances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Michael Thomas Dobbertin, Francisco Luiz Ziegelmuller, James Douglas Shifley, Jean Marie Trost, James N. Alkins
  • Publication number: 20120207509
    Abstract: An electrophotographic printer includes a rotatable photoreceptor adapted to receive dry toner and a rotatable toning member arranged with respect to the photoreceptor to supply toner thereto. A seal includes a complaint contact member and a non-contact member. The contact member is arranged in mechanical contact with the photoreceptor. The non-contact member is spaced apart from the surface of the toning member by a selected non-zero distance, the selected distance being greater than zero. This reduces dusting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: MICHAEL THOMAS DOBBERTIN, James N. Alkins, Richard G. Luther, Jean Marie Trost