Abstract: A method and structure of automatically selecting replacement components for a printing machine automatically maintains media type statistics on media types used for printing in the printing machine for a period of time, and automatically recommends a replacement for a worn component with one of a plurality of interchangeable different-type replacement components based on the media type statistics. The interchangeable different-type replacement components have different performance characteristics for each of the media types, and the interchangeable different-type replacement components perform the same function as said worn component within the printing machine.

Abstract: A sheet transportation apparatus includes at least one beltless vacuum transport (BVT) that has a plurality of adjacent rollers. Each of the rollers comprises a rounded external surface and an axis about which the external surface rotates. The external surfaces of the rollers are spaced from each other by gaps referred to as “inter-roller spaces.” A fan is positioned on a first side of the rollers. The fan draws air through the inter-roller spaces to create a vacuum force on a second side of the rollers. The vacuum force maintains the sheets of media in contact with the second side of the rollers. The external surface of each of the rollers comprises a plurality of first regions having a first diameter and a plurality of second regions having a second diameter different than the first diameter. The first regions and the second regions of the external surface are adjacent one another and alternate along the length of the external surface of each of the rollers.

Abstract: Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of mitigating media edge wear effects on fixing belts in printing are provided. An exemplary apparatus useful for printing onto media includes a first roll including a first surface; a second roll including a second surface; a fixing member including a third surface; a fixing belt supported on the first surface and second surface, the fixing belt including a surface forming a nip with the fixing member; a registration distribution system for translating the first roll, second roll, fixing member and fixing belt, as a unit, transversely with respect to a media travel path of media received at the nip; and a belt steering mechanism connected to the second roll for translating the fixing belt across the first surface of the first roll at the nip, transversely to the media travel path, while the registration distribution system translates the first roll, second roll, fixing member and fixing belt transversely to the media travel path.

Abstract: An enhanced sheet stripping method and apparatus for stripping toner image carrying copy sheets from a surface of a moving heated fusing member forming a fusing nip. The apparatus includes (a) a moving assembly for moving a cut sheet towards the fusing nip; (b) a sheet curling device positioned upstream of the fusing nip relative to movement of the cut sheet for inducing a desired pre-curl in the cut sheet before the cut sheet enters the fusing nip; and (c) a sheet stripping device positioned downstream of the fusing nip for stripping the cut sheet from contact with the surface of the moving heated fusing member as the cut sheet exits the fusing nip. The method includes inducing a desired curl in the cut sheet before the cut sheet enters the fusing nip and enhanced stripping the cut sheet from contact with the surface of the fuser roll as the cut sheet exits the fusing nip.

Abstract: A rapid warm-up and cool-down pressure roll assembly is provided and includes (a) a rotatable pressure roll including a cylindrical sleeve having an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a hollow interior to the rotatable pressure roll; (b) a thermoelectric assembly sheet positioned within the hollow interior and having a first substrate facing the inner surface of the cylindrical sleeve, a second substrate, an electric current flow path therethrough, and electric current input and output terminals associated with the electric current flow path; and (c) an electric current input switching device connected to the electric current input and output terminals for enabling selective reversing of a direction of electric current flow through the electric current flow path, thereby reversing which of the first substrate and the second substrate of the thermoelectric assembly sheet is hot and which is cold, and therefore selectively enabling a rapid warm-up or rapid cool-down of the cylindrical sleeve of the pr

Abstract: Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of mitigating media edge wear effects on fixing belts in printing are provided. An exemplary apparatus useful for printing onto media includes a first roll including a first surface; a second roll including a second surface; a fixing member including a third surface; a fixing belt supported on the first surface and second surface, the fixing belt including a surface forming a nip with the fixing member; a registration distribution system for translating the first roll, second roll, fixing member and fixing belt, as a unit, transversely with respect to a media travel path of media received at the nip; and a belt steering mechanism connected to the second roll for translating the fixing belt across the first surface of the first roll at the nip, transversely to the media travel path, while the registration distribution system translates the first roll, second roll, fixing member and fixing belt transversely to the media travel path.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved fuser cleaning system in which a strip of flexible material, including first second and third portions, is fed from a source roll to a take-up roll in such a manner that a fuser roll is cleaned or oiled. A first detectable mark may be disposed on a side of the strip of flexible material in one of the first and second portions. During operation of the fuser cleaning system, the third portion is taken up by the take-up roll and when an amount of the third portion is taken up by the take-up roll, the first detectable mark is detected by a sensor and a signal, indicating that the amount of the third portion has been taken up by the take-up roll, is transmitted to a controller. A second detectable mark may be disposed on the side of the strip of flexible material.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved fuser cleaning system in which a strip of flexible material, including first second and third portions, is fed from a source roll to a take-up roll in such a manner that a fuser roll is cleaned or oiled. A first detectable mark may be disposed on a side of the strip of flexible material in one of the first and second portions. During operation of the fuser cleaning system, the third portion is taken up by the take-up roll and when an amount of the third portion is taken up by the take-up roll, the first detectable mark is detected by a sensor and a signal, indicating that the amount of the third portion has been taken up by the take-up roll, is transmitted to a controller. A second detectable mark may be disposed on the side of the strip of flexible material.

Abstract: An improved fuser includes a fuser member, a pressure member that forms a nip with the fuser member through which copy sheets pass to have images fused thereon and an air knife to assist in peeling copy sheets from the fuser member. The air knife has a device connected to it that blocks entrained airflow between the fuser and air knife to reduce fuser cooling and power loss.

Abstract: An improved fuser includes a fuser member, a pressure member that forms a nip with the fuser member through which copy sheets pass to have images fused thereon and an air knife to assist in peeling copy sheets from the fuser member. The air knife has a device connected to it that blocks entrained airflow between the fuser and air knife to reduce fuser cooling and power loss.

Abstract: An enhanced sheet stripping method and apparatus for stripping toner image carrying copy sheets from a surface of a moving heated fusing member forming a fusing nip. The apparatus includes (a) a moving assembly for moving a cut sheet towards the fusing nip; (b) a sheet curling device positioned upstream of the fusing nip relative to movement of the cut sheet for inducing a desired pre-curl in the cut sheet before the cut sheet enters the fusing nip; and (c) a sheet stripping device positioned downstream of the fusing nip for stripping the cut sheet from contact with the surface of the moving heated fusing member as the cut sheet exits the fusing nip. The method includes inducing a desired curl in the cut sheet before the cut sheet enters the fusing nip and enhanced stripping the cut sheet from contact with the surface of the fuser roll as the cut sheet exits the fusing nip.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a printing apparatus and method including a media sheet registration system, a fuser roll assembly and a fuser roll RDS (registration distribution system). The media sheet registration system steers media sheets to alternative target positions to smooth fuser roll edge wear area profiles associated with the RDS and media sheets passing through the fuser roll assembly.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a printing apparatus and method comprising a media sheet registration system, a fuser roll assembly and a fuser roll RDS (registration distribution system). The media sheet registration system steers media sheets to alternative target positions to smooth fuser roll edge wear area profiles associated with the RDS and media sheets passing through the fuser roll assembly.

Abstract: A rapid warm-up and cool-down pressure roll assembly is provided and includes (a) a rotatable pressure roll including a cylindrical sleeve having an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a hollow interior to the rotatable pressure roll; (b) a thermoelectric assembly sheet positioned within the hollow interior and having a first substrate facing the inner surface of the cylindrical sleeve, a second substrate, an electric current flow path therethrough, and electric current input and output terminals associated with the electric current flow path; and (c) an electric current input switching device connected to the electric current input and output terminals for enabling selective reversing of a direction of electric current flow through the electric current flow path, thereby reversing which of the first substrate and the second substrate of the thermoelectric assembly sheet is hot and which is cold, and therefore selectively enabling a rapid warm-up or rapid cool-down of the cylindrical sleeve of the pr

Abstract: Disclosed herein are several embodiments to facilitate the characterization of fuser stripping performance. Recognizing that the characteristics of a substrate exiting a fusing nip are indicative of the operation of the nip and the stripping operation itself, several contact and non-contact sensing methods are described to detect or predict degraded stripping performance, thereby permitting one or more compensation techniques to be employed, or to identify the need for fuser subsystem replacement.

Abstract: An air diffusing vacuum transport belt including a first perforated layer and a second non-perforated layer is provided for transporting image carrying substrates without vacuum belt induced image defects. The first perforated layer includes a top surface and a bottom surface, solid areas, and perforated hole areas interspersing the solid areas for directing pressurized airflow from the top surface through to the bottom surface. The air diffusing vacuum transport belt also includes a second non-perforated layer formed over the top surface of the first perforated layer and covering the solid areas and the perforated hole areas. The second non-perforated layer has an inner surface positioned over the top surface of the first perforated layer, and an outer surface for uniformly supporting substrates.

Abstract: A reprographic marking device has two rolls, e.g., a pressure roll and a fuser roll, forming a nip. A drive motor moves the rolls in a continuous back and forth lateral motion to change the position of the rolls relative to a paper sheet passing through the nip.

Abstract: A sheet transport system with improved sheet contacting thermal uniformity for transporting thermally sensitive imaged print media sheets in a sheet path of a printer, in which multiple sheet feeding rollers are spaced along sheet feeding path, with each said sheet feeding roller having a substantially uniform diameter extending transversely fully across the sheet feeding path for uniform sheet contact, with uniform baffles between the rollers also extending transversely fully across the sheet feeding path, for uniform sheet contact, and with vacuum sheet holddown provided by airflow slots on oppose sides of each sheet feeding roller extending transversely across the sheet feeding path.

Abstract: A sheet transport system with improved sheet contacting thermal uniformity for transporting thermally sensitive imaged print media sheets in a sheet path of a printer, in which multiple sheet feeding rollers are spaced along sheet feeding path, with each said sheet feeding roller having a substantially uniform diameter extending transversely fully across the sheet feeding path for uniform sheet contact, with uniform baffles between the rollers also extending transversely fully across the sheet feeding path, for uniform sheet contact, and with vacuum sheet holddown provided by airflow slots on oppose sides of each sheet feeding roller extending transversely across the sheet feeding path.

Abstract: A fuser system of a xerographic device includes at least one set of a fuser member and a pressure member having a nip width therebetween, the nip width being set to within a specification nip width range, at least one sensor for monitoring the velocity of at lease one of the fuser member, the pressure member and a media passing through the nip, a processor that receives the velocity data from the at least one sensor and that determines a current nip width from the velocity data and compares the current nip width to the specification nip width range, and a nip width adjustment device in communication with the processor, which adjusts the current nip width to be within the specification nip width range. To offset changes in nip width due to hardening/softening of a fuser member material, or to provide a means to measure nip width in order to enable fusing setpoints using multiple nip width specifications, a method for closed loop control of nip width is enabled by the fuser system.