Abstract: A print head for a liquid ink printer deposits liquid ink droplets on a recording medium. A curved infrared foil heater is disposed adjacent to the recording medium path opposite the print head, for heating the recording medium to dry the liquid ink droplets. The foil heater is an infrared emitting, etched foil circuit heater mounted within a channel in a frame to curve and thus self-tension to prevent wrinkling of the foil heater despite any thermal expansion of the foil heater.

Abstract: A print head for a liquid ink printer deposits liquid ink droplets on a recording medium. A curved infrared foil heater is disposed adjacent to the recording medium path opposite the print head, for heating the recording medium to dry the liquid ink droplets. The foil heater is an infrared emitting, etched foil circuit heater mounted within a channel in a frame to curve and thus self-tension to prevent wrinkling of the foil heater despite any thermal expansion of the foil heater.

Abstract: A digital photography system includes a digital camera and a docking digital printer. The digital camera includes an image display and the digital printer includes user interface controls to control the images displayed on the camera and to select images to be printed using a plurality of printer modes, including a first mode which prints only a current image displayed on the image display of the digital camera, and a second printing mode which prints at least two images from the plurality of captured images.

Abstract: A printing machine for printing an image including colorants, including a liquid carrier, on a recording medium moving along a path through a pre-print zone and a print zone including a heat and hold drier. The printing machine includes a printhead, disposed adjacent the print zone, to deposit the colorants, including the liquid carrier, on the recording medium during movement through the print zone, a pre-print zone drier, disposed adjacent the pre-print zone, to generate a heat energy, towards the recording medium, sufficiently elevated for retention in the recording medium during movement thereof through the print zone.

Abstract: An ink jet printer is provided for producing high quality permanent ink images. The ink jet printer includes a frame in part defining a sheet travel path, a sheet supply and handling assembly mounted to the frame for supplying and moving a sheet through the sheet travel path, at least one printhead connected to an ink supply and located along the sheet travel path for printing ink images on the sheet moving through the sheet travel path; and an image protective layer applying apparatus for supplying and applying a moisture repelling protective layer on ink images printed on the sheet moving through the sheet travel path. The image protective layer applying apparatus includes a moisture repelling material, a holder for holding the moisture repelling material, and an applying member for applying a layer of the moisture repelling material on ink images printed on the sheet moving through the sheet travel path; thereby enabling production of high quality permanent ink images.

Abstract: A printing device having a frame, an input holding area, and an output holding area. The frame supports a printhead and a feed roller system for feeding print medium to the printhead. The input holding area is disposed on the frame. The output holding area is disposed on the frame. The input holding area holds print medium to be fed into the feed roller system. The output holding area has a support section to receive and support print medium output from the feed roller system. The support section of the output holding area has a bypass feed slot formed therein. The bypass feed slot is substantially straight. The bypass feed slot includes a first slot portion and a second slot portion adjoining the first portion. The second slot portion has a slot width different from the first slot portion.

Abstract: A printing machine for printing on a recording medium moving along a path through a print zone, includes a printhead, adapted to deposit ink on the recording medium in the print zone; and a cross flow blower disposed adjacently to the path and at a position in the path prior to the print zone, wherein the cross flow blower creates an air flow in the path from at least a position just before the print zone to a position at least just after the print zone.

Abstract: A printing machine for printing on a recording medium moving along a path through a print zone, includes a printhead, adapted to deposit ink on the recording medium in the print zone; and a radiant dryer, disposed adjacently to the path, for heating the recording medium. The radiant dryer includes a reflector and a heat source. The reflector includes a first portion defining a first heat region preheating the recording medium at a position in the path prior to the print zone, and a second portion defining a second heat region heating the recording medium in or subsequent to the print zone. In this design, the first portion generates heat energy having a first temperature and said second portion generates heat energy having a second temperature greater than said first temperature.

Abstract: A liquid ink printer for depositing liquid ink to form an image on a recording medium moving along a path including a contact heater and a printhead. The printhead, disposed adjacent to the path, is adapted to deposit ink on the recording medium in a print zone including a dimension being defined by the printhead. The contact heater, disposed adjacently to the path, includes a positive temperature coefficient material, generating heat energy for heating the recording medium. In one embodiment, the positive coefficient material comprises a doped ceramic material. A first portion of the heater is disposed substantially opposite said printhead and a second portion is disposed at a position located before the printhead along the path direction.

Abstract: A copy sheet collection station, in one embodiment as used in an ink jet printer, incorporates an exit guide ramp which prevents the sheets deposited into the output tray from being smeared by successively deposited sheets. The exit guide ramp comprises a sheet support surface balanced on a pivot edge, the position of the ramp on either side of the pivot point effectively forming an articulated ramp. A ramp segment on the print zone exit side of the printer has a greater mass than the remaining segment. As the copy sheet exits the print zone and moves along the surface of the ramp, it extends past the ramp edge in cantilevered fashion. At some point, the weight of the paper overcomes the mass of the print side ramp segment causing the ramp member to rotate clockwise, lowering the sheet to its final position in the output tray. Once the sheet clears the edge of the ramp, the ramp rotates back to its unloaded position.

Abstract: A printing machine having a dryer for drying liquid ink printing deposited in a print zone on a surface of a recording medium moving along a path. The dryer includes a heat source, generating heat energy, disposed adjacently to the path, for heating the recording medium and drying the ink. A reflector system, including a first reflector and a second reflector, direct the heat energy toward another surface of the recording medium. In one embodiment, the heat source comprises a quartz tube having a reflective coating, acting as the first reflector, deposited on a surface of the tube, and the second reflector directs additional heat energy towards the recording medium.

Abstract: A segmented flexible heater disposed adjacently to a paper path in a printing machine for heating a recording medium before printing and during printing. The segmented flexible heater includes a curved first portion for preheating the paper and a substantially planar second portion for heating the paper in a print zone wherein the second portion generates heat energy having a temperature greater than the heat energy generated by the first portion. The first portion includes apertures for accommodating drive rollers for moving the recording medium into the print zone area heated by the second portion. The apertures in the flexible heater provide for continuous heating of the recording medium before and during heating. The second portion is preferably at least two printing swaths wide to prevent thermal shock to the portion of the printing medium being printed on.

Abstract: A technique of adjusting the operation of a fuser in accordance with the size and orientation of copy sheets being fused. A controller includes a table in memory for storing fuser operation data related to given copy sheet size and orientation and tracks the operation of the fuser by determining the size and orientation of copy sheets being delivered to the fuser, scanning the table in memory to locate size and orientation identifiers and fuser operation data, and adjusts the operation of the fuser in accordance with the operation data by counting the number of copies being fused and placing the machine in idle for a given period of time upon reaching a predetermined copy count.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing operator manual adjustments for toner concentration drifts in a printing machine. The method includes storing into a controller, a value for a toner concentration factor, and of estimating a quantity of toner to be depleted by each toner reproduction of a document sheet. The method also includes maintaining the toner concentration ratio by adding to a development housing a quantity of fresh toner, and of keeping a running count of toner reproductions of document sheets made. The method further includes manually adjusting the quantity of fresh toner added based on inspecting toner reproductions made, keeping a count of the number of such manual adjustments, and automatically correcting the stored value for the toner concentration factor, when the number of manual adjustments, relative to a predetermined running count of toner reproductions, reaches a predetermined number.

Abstract: An electrostatographic printing apparatus adapted to provide selectively variable copy contrast, including a movable control member and a system for providing non-linearly variable contrast control in response to selective displacement of the control member, the control member having non-linear sensitivity to selective displacement thereof such that the variable copy contrast does not have a linear relation to relative displacement of the control member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the presence of image information in the lead edge of an input document by comparing the average difference between a plurality of instantaneous optical density measurements of a reference strip and the average optical density for the reference strip to the average difference between a plurality of instantaneous optical density measurements of a lead edge of an original input document and the average optical density for the lead edge of the original input document. Analysis of optical density measurements during scanning of the lead edge of an original input document is accomplished so that image information on the lead edge of an original input document is not misinterpreted as indicative of a dark background original input document.

Abstract: A character printing and detection system in which a toner image is fixed to a sheet with each character of the toner image being inverted so that the normally leading edge of each character is the trailing edge. The toner image on the sheet is magnetized. The sheet of support material is re-inverted so that the leading edge of each character of the toner image fixed to the sheet of the support material is the trailing edge. The intensity of the magnetic field generated by each character of the toner image fixed to the sheet is detected to identify each character.

Abstract: A stripper for separating a print substrate from a fuser member in an electrostatographic printing machine has a substantially flat, thin, resiliently flexible finger-like member having a raised dimple-like bump adjacent one end of the finger-like member for contacting the print substrate when stripped from the fuser member, the finger-like member being coated on both sides with a smooth low surface energy film.

Abstract: An apparatus which dries and fuses a liquid image of liquid carrier and toner particles to a sheet. The sheet passes through a nip defined by a support member cooperating with a roller. The roller contacts the liquid image on the sheet. Heat is applied to the liquid image to fuse the toner particles to the sheet and vaporize at least a portion of the liquid carrier therefrom. The side of the sheet opposed from the side having the liquid image thereon is maintained at a lower pressure than atmospheric pressure to reduce the amount of heat required to vaporize the liquid carrier and remove the vaporized liquid carrier therefrom.

Abstract: A reproducing machine in which an electrostatic latent image recorded on a photoconductive member is developed with a liquid developer material comprising at least a liquid carrier having pigmented particles dispersed therein. The developed image is transferred from the photoconductive member to a sheet of support material. The sheet of support material having the developed image thereon is dried to remove substantially all of the liquid carrier transferred thereto. The pigmented particles are permanently fused to the sheet of support material in image configuration.