Cylindrical Or Roller-type Support For Material To Be Heated Patents (Class 219/469)
  • Patent number: 7413436
    Abstract: A driving apparatus for rollers of roller hearth furnaces includes a bearing beam module having a mounting plate for fixing to a side wall of the roller hearth furnace. The mounting plate has at least one passage opening for receiving a drive journal for driving one of the rollers. At least one mitre gear unit fixed to the mounting plate is provided and its angle drive is connected by the drive journal to the roller to be driven. At least one first and one second rotary coupling piece are accessible from the outsides of a casing of the mitre gear unit and are provided for connecting the angle drive to two further mitre gear units for driving in each case one adjacent roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Rollmod Hochtemperatur-Transportsysteme GmbH
    Inventor: Joachim A. Wuenning
  • Patent number: 7399947
    Abstract: A thermal processor including a rotating drum including an internal heater configured to heat and maintain the drum at a desired set-point temperature, and a plurality of pressure rollers, including a first pressure roller, circumferentially spaced along a segment of the drum. A temperature sensor is configured to provide a temperature signal indicative of a temperature proximate to the first pressure roller. A controller is configured to adjust the desired set-point temperature based on the temperature signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley B. Rassatt, David J. McDaniel
  • Patent number: 7349661
    Abstract: A fusing roller and a fusing apparatus using the same are provided. The fusing roller includes a coil unit resistance heated by a predetermined alternating current, and generating an alternating magnetic flux by the alternating current. A heating roller unit is heated by an induced current generated by the alternating magnetic flux. An adhering unit is formed of a non-magnetic material and is installed to contact the inside of the coil unit to elastically bias the coil unit toward the heating roller unit to adhere the coil unit onto the heating roller unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Durk-hyun Cho, Joong-gi Kwon, Hwan-guem Kim, Young-min Chae, Sang-yong Han
  • Publication number: 20080047951
    Abstract: A thermal processor including a rotating drum including an internal heater configured to heat and maintain the drum at a desired set-point temperature, and a plurality of pressure rollers, including a first pressure roller, circumferentially spaced along a segment of the drum. A temperature sensor is configured to provide a temperature signal indicative of a temperature proximate to the first pressure roller. A controller is configured to adjust the desired set-point temperature based on the temperature signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Bradley B. Rassatt, David J. McDaniel
  • Patent number: 7294810
    Abstract: A heater includes: a hollow tube sealed hermetically and reduced in pressure, the interior of the hollow tube being divided by at least one partition wall into a plurality of regions arranged side by side in a longitudinal direction of the tube; an electron source provided in each of the divided regions, the electron source being supported inside the hollow tube in an electrically insulated state from the hollow tube; a power supply that applies a voltage between the hollow tube and the electron source with the electron source as a negative polarity side; and the electron source emitting electrons toward an inner periphery surface of the hollow tube to heat the hollow tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigehiko Haseba, Yasuhiro Uehara
  • Patent number: 7253378
    Abstract: A base sheet is spanned over a lower roller, and an upper roller pulls a cover sheet along a path and presses it against the base sheet at the lower roller. A preheater housing along the path upstream of the rollers is formed with a chamber open toward the path. A radiant heater in the chamber is directed transversely at the path so as to heat the cover sheet passing along the path. A sensor along the path adjacent the chamber detects atmosphere around the chamber and generates an output when the detected atmosphere indicates an unsafe hot condition of the cover sheet. A shutter can shift between a retracted position offset from the chamber and an advanced position closing the chamber. A controller connected to the sensor shifts the shutter from the retracted position to the advanced position when the output is generated by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Uhlmann Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Detlev Gertitschke, Bernd Zoller, Jörg Knüppel
  • Publication number: 20070138162
    Abstract: In a heating fluid medium passing roller device for heat-treating a object to be processed in contact with the surface of a roller 1, heat exchanger devices 5a, 5b are arranged on a circulating heating fluid medium path, and the heating fluid medium heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger device is passed through the roller 1 having a jacked chamber 1b sealed with a gas-liquid two phase heating medium within its wall to keep the roller 1 at a predetermined temperature. Further, the heating fluid medium passing roller device includes a temperature sensor 13 for detecting the temperature of the heating fluid medium to be supplied into the roller 1 and a temperature sensor 14 for detecting the temperature of the heating fluid medium exhausted from the roller 1. The flow rate of the heating fluid medium to be supplied into the roller is adjusted so that the difference between the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 13 and 14 is constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Toru Tonomura, Kozo Okamoto, Yasuhiro Fujimoto, Motomasa Hirao
  • Patent number: 7176420
    Abstract: The present invention features a metallic resistive heater and uses thereof. The resistive heater includes a metallic component that is electrically conductive (i.e., has low resistivity) and an oxide, nitride, carbide, and/or boride derivative of the metallic component that is electrically insulating (i.e., has high resistivity). The resistivity is controlled in part by controlling the amount of oxide, nitride, carbide, and boride formation during the deposition of the metallic component and the derivative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: ThermoCermiX, INc
    Inventors: Richard C. Abbott, Gary P. Magnant, William A. Glenn
  • Patent number: 7157673
    Abstract: The present invention provides an induction heating apparatus including a fixing belt that heats an unfixed image on recording paper, an excitation coil that induction-heats the fixing belt, an inverter circuit that supplies power to the excitation coil, a harness that electrically connects the excitation coil and the inverter circuit. The harness is constructed of a litz wire having a resistance of the harness section of 0.016 ? or below formed by stranding several tens of wires which are conductive wires coated with an insulator into a predetermined thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Samei, Tomoyuki Noguchi
  • Patent number: 7157665
    Abstract: A heat development apparatus for heat developing a heat-developable recording material from one surface side by a heating unit, while transporting the heat-developable recording material by a transportation unit, the apparatus comprising: a transportation path from a beginning end to a terminal end of a heating region in which the heat developing is made by the heating unit, the transportation path being formed in an annular path having a substantially equal length with a transportation length of the heat-developable recording material, so that the beginning end and the terminal end of the heating region are arranged in proximity with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasunori Ohta
  • Patent number: 7141762
    Abstract: Information handling system peripherals that use a heating element are protected from catastrophic failure due to overheating by a thermal failsafe associated with the heating element that fails the heating element if excessive temperatures are reached. For instance, the failsafe releases the vacuum from a heating element bulb so that the application of power to the filament of the heating element bulb oxidizes the filament resulting in failure of the filament and ceasing of generation of heat. The failsafe includes a melting agent, such as wax or solder, which seals an opening in the bulb unless a thermal runaway temperature is reached in excess of a desired operating temperature. Alternatively, the failsafe includes an expanding agent, such as a ceramic or a liquid-filled bubble, which releases the vacuum by fracturing an opening in the bulb at the thermal runaway temperature. The thermal runaway temperature is selected to induce failure before catastrophic overheating of the peripheral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Wayne Iltis, Donald Guthan
  • Patent number: 7099602
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus has a coil for forming a magnetic field; a fixing rotatable member for fixing an unfixed toner image carried on a recording material thereon by heat generated by eddy currents which is generated by the magnetic field; an electric power supply control for controlling electric power supply to the coil; and a rotating mechanism for rotating the fixing rotatable member. On the basis of a state of rotation of the fixing rotatable member a predetermined time after operation the rotating mechanism, the electric power supply to the coil thereafter is selectively carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Asayama
  • Patent number: 7087861
    Abstract: A thermal processor including an oven for thermally developing an image in a media. The oven includes an entrance and a guide positioned at the entrance. The guide includes a receiver having a major surface configured to contact and receive the media and a separator configured to lift and separate the media from at least a portion of the major surface and to direct the media into the oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Bradley B. Rassatt, James R. Hakala
  • Patent number: 7078659
    Abstract: A ceramic heater is provided which may be employed in a gas sensor. The ceramic heater includes a heating element disposed inside a ceramic body, a connector assembly, and a cover coating. The connector assembly consists of an external terminal, a connector terminal, and a metallic joint layer. The external terminal is affixed to an outer surface of the ceramic body in electrical connection with the heating element. The joint layer is formed on the external terminal to establish an electrical joint between the external terminal and the connector terminal. The cover coating is wrapped over a surface of the connector assembly and made of a metallic material containing a main component of one of Au, Pt, and Cr, thereby ensuring a corrosion resistance of the connector assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Taiji Yokoyama, Kozo Takamura, Makoto Shirai
  • Patent number: 7057141
    Abstract: A thermal mass is characterized by a reference temperature. A thermal interrupter thermally interrupts the thermal mass upon contact. A look ahead processor examines the thermal interrupter ahead of anticipated contact with the thermal mass and determines an amount of anticipated thermal interruption. A PID gain calculator determines a PID gain for a control algorithm based on the determined amount of thermal interruption. A heater processor applies the control algorithm to a heater to heat the thermal mass to a prespecified start temperature which exceeds the reference temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Siu Teong Moy
  • Patent number: 6992272
    Abstract: A thermal processing roller includes a heat transfer medium flowing path therein and heats a member to be processed abutting against a surface of the roller or absorbs heat therefrom by heat transfer fluid flowing through the heat transfer medium flowing path, wherein a sealed chamber extending in a longitudinal direction of the roller and in which heat transfer medium of vapor-liquid two phases is sealed is formed within a thick portion of the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Tokuden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kitano, Toru Tonomura, Kozo Okamoto, Shigeyuki Hirota, Masanobu Heguri, Toshiki Hanafusa
  • Patent number: 6979800
    Abstract: A heater including a plurality of first dielectric vanes and a plurality of second dielectric vanes arranged about a longitudinal axis, each first dielectric vane and second dielectric vane having a plurality of wire guiding grooves, a heater wire structure wound around the first and second dielectric vanes in wire guiding grooves, and wherein the heater wire structure substantially avoids contact with bottoms of the wire guiding grooves of the second dielectric vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Kohne, Barry D. Reeves
  • Patent number: 6967308
    Abstract: Information handling system peripherals that use a heating element are protected from catastrophic failure due to overheating by a thermal failsafe associated with the heating element that fails the heating element if excessive temperatures are reached. For instance, the failsafe releases the vacuum from a heating element bulb so that the application of power to the filament of the heating element bulb oxidizes the filament resulting in failure of the filament and ceasing of generation of heat. The failsafe includes a melting agent, such as wax or solder, which seals an opening in the bulb unless a thermal runaway temperature is reached in excess of a desired operating temperature. Alternatively, the failsafe includes an expanding agent, such as a ceramic or a liquid-filled bubble, which releases the vacuum by fracturing an opening in the bulb at the thermal runaway temperature. The thermal runaway temperature is selected to induce failure before catastrophic overheating of the peripheral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Wayne Iltis, Donald Guthan
  • Patent number: 6949724
    Abstract: An upper heat roller with an external heat source and a lower heat roller with an internal heat source are arranged with a paper transport path therebetween, in such a manner as to be pressed against each other. The lower heat roller is heated sufficiently, thereby supplying a paper sheet with sufficient heat when the paper sheet is transported through a contact region between the upper and lower heat rollers to be heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Patent number: 6919543
    Abstract: A metallic resistive heater and a method of production are described. The resistive heater has a metallic component that is electrically conductive (i.e. has low resistivity) and an oxide, nitride, carbide, and or boride derivative of the metallic component that is electrically insulating (i.e., has high resistivity). The resistivity is controlled by controlling the amount of oxide, nitride, carbide, and boride formation during the deposition of the metallic component and the derivative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Thermoceramix, LLC
    Inventors: Richard C. Abbott, Gary P. Magnant, William A. Glenn
  • Patent number: 6909861
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus has a coil for forming a magnetic field; a fixing rotatable member for fixing an unfixed toner image carried on a recording material thereon by heat generated by eddy currents which is generated by the magnetic field; an electric power supply control for controlling electric power supply to the coil; and a rotating mechanism for rotating the fixing rotatable member. On the basis of a state of rotation of the fixing rotatable member a predetermined time after operation the rotating mechanism, the electric power supply to the coil thereafter is selectively carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Asayama
  • Patent number: 6835918
    Abstract: An upper heat roller with an external heat source and a lower heat roller with an internal heat source are arranged with a paper transport path therebetween, in such a manner as to be pressed against each other. The lower heat roller is heated sufficiently, thereby supplying a paper sheet with sufficient heat when the paper sheet is transported through a contact region between the upper and lower heat rollers to be heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kagawa, Shogo Yokota
  • Patent number: 6803542
    Abstract: A thermal processor for heat processing exposed thermographic media comprising: a heated drum for heating thermographic media brought into contact with the drum; a centrally located assembly for supporting the drum for rotation; a plurality of spaced rollers located around a segment of the drum for holding media into contact with the drum; and a plate assembly for mounting the plurality of rollers for movement between a first position in contact with the drum and a second position out of contact with the drum, the plate assembly having first and second spaced alignment plates having circular features that align with the bearing assembly when the plate assembly is in the first position, whereby the rollers are aligned with the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Bradley B. Rassatt
  • Patent number: 6792239
    Abstract: A structurally improved fusing roller assembly based on the heat pipe principle is provided. The fusing roller assembly includes a fusing roller and a heat pipe coaxially mounted inside the fusing roller. A resistance heater is helically wound around the exterior cylindrical surface of the heat pipe, and rests between the inner cylindrical surface of the fusing roller and the exterior cylindrical surface of the heat pipe. The heat pipe is hermetically sealed with a quantity of a working fluid contained inside. The surface of fusing roller can be instantaneously heated up to a target fusing temperature. The fusing roller assembly can be heated up to a target fusing temperature within a shorter period of time without need for warm-up and stand-by period, so that power consumption decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
    Inventor: Kyung-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6791068
    Abstract: A roller heating system for a laminating machine comprises a first rolling shaft and a second rolling shaft, wherein the first rolling shaft and the second rolling shaft are parallel with each other, and a heating mechanism is mounted on the respective surface of the two rolling shafts. Then, a heat conduction layer wraps up the respective surface of the above-mentioned rolling shafts as well as the heating mechanisms. When the lamination proceeds, the heat mechanisms firstly heat the heat conduction layers to a working temperature and at the same time, the first and second rolling shafts respectively rotate in a predetermined direction, and then an article covered with laminating plastic films is fed into the roller heating system. The heat conduction layers heat the laminating plastic films to melt the fusion gum of the inner surfaces of the laminating plastic films, and subsequently the laminating plastic films are forced by the compression of the first and second rolling shafts to adhere to the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Shin-Fu Lin
  • Publication number: 20040169029
    Abstract: A thermal processor for heat processing exposed thermographic media comprising: a heated drum for heating thermographic media brought into contact with the drum; a centrally located assembly for supporting the drum for rotation; a plurality of spaced rollers located around a segment of the drum for holding media into contact with the drum; and a plate assembly for mounting the plurality of rollers for movement between a first position in contact with the drum and a second position out of contact with the drum, the plate assembly having first and second spaced alignment plates having circular features that align with the bearing assembly when the plate assembly is in the first position, whereby the rollers are aligned with the drum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventor: Bradley B. Rassatt
  • Patent number: 6782802
    Abstract: A roller grill assembly for cooking human food has a plurality of horizontally aligned roller tubes which can be arranged to extend at an angle of about 3° to 5° are rotatably mounted to a housing frame. A sealing assembly comprises a bearing member and an annular sealing member. A drive chain engages an idler sprocket to rotate the tubes. The housing has a cavity that receives a sliding compartment assembly that has a frame comprising track members and a cross strut shaped to support a pan for holding food. The tubes have heating elements with compact spiraled configuration at the ends. A cover is pivotally mounted by a biased pin or two legged spring to cover a control panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Star Manufacturing International
    Inventors: Thomas Hunot, Michael Lee Huegerich, Frank P. Ricchio
  • Publication number: 20040149710
    Abstract: A heat roller has a cylindrical sheet-like heating element, an inner tube and an outer tube. The sheet-like heating element has a resistance member embedded into an insulating member. The outer tube has a non-linear shape seen in an axial direction. The heat roller is fabricated by supplying pressurized fluid to the inner tube for expanding the inner tube, sheet-like heating element and outer tube toward a die. The die has a non-linear inner shape seen in the axial direction. Therefore, the outer tube of the fabricated heat roller has a non-linear shape. Further, an edge section of the inner tube can simultaneously be formed into a desired shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Sanpei, Mitsuhiro Mori, Masatoshi Kimura, Masao Konishi
  • Patent number: 6750432
    Abstract: A heat roller control apparatus having a heat roller for hot melt coating a thin film on a member, a heater for heating the heat roller, temperature detecting member for detecting the surface temperature of the heat roller, temperature control member for controlling the heater according to a temperature detecting signal obtained from the temperature detecting means, and temperature judging member for producing a temperature judging signal for judging the state of the surface temperature of the heat roller according to the temperature detecting signal. The temperature judging member calculates a variation of the surface temperature of the heat roller from the temperature detecting signal every predetermined time and judging the stability of the hot melt coating by the variation of the surface temperature of the heat roller when the temperature detecting signal reaches into a predetermined temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2004
    Assignee: Japan Servo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaru Yamanoi
  • Publication number: 20040060921
    Abstract: A drum heater consisting of a plurality of vanes made preferably from mica material and having multiple separate heater wire channels controlled from an electrical cable is provided for heating the interior of a printer drum or fuser. The drum heater has element wires, which can be operated in two different modes, and which are wound around eight mica vanes. The mica vanes are held together on both ends with mica end caps for assembly, electrical isolation and thermal isolation. The mica vanes additionally define protruding tabs for attachment of wire restraining and protecting mica panels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick B. Justice, Larry E. Hindman, Trevor J. Snyder, Michael P. O'Dierno, Jeffrey R. Kohne
  • Patent number: 6713726
    Abstract: There is disclosed a heat-sealing method including: feeding a fusible fiber sheet (12) into the clearance between a pair of rolls (1, 5), at least one of which has sealing ridges (2, 6) of a predetermined pattern on its outer circumference; and heating and pressing the fiber sheet (12) with the sealing ridges (2, 6), to form fused portions corresponding to the pattern of the sealing ridges (2, 6), in the fiber sheet (12). An insulator (4) is disposed to cover the outer circumference of the rolls (1, 5), as lacking the sealing ridges. The insulator (4) is made of a material which has a lower thermal conductivity than that of the sealing ridges and which can be elastically contracted by the pressure of the rolls (1, 5). The fiber sheet (12) to be fed into the clearance between the rolls (1, 5) rotating is compressed by the insulator (4) to discharge its internal air and is then heated and pressed by the sealing ridges (2, 6) so that it is heat-sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Tanaka, Yasuhiko Kenmochi
  • Patent number: 6713728
    Abstract: A drum heater consisting of a plurality of vanes made preferably from mica material and having multiple separate heater wire channels controlled from an electrical cable is provided for heating the interior of a printer drum or fuser. The drum heater has element wires, which can be operated in two different modes, and which are wound around eight mica vanes. The mica vanes are held together on both ends with mica end caps for assembly, electrical isolation and thermal isolation. The mica vanes additionally define protruding tabs for attachment of wire restraining and protecting mica panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick B. Justice, Larry E. Hindman, Trevor J. Snyder, Michael P. O'Dierno, Jeffrey R. Kohne
  • Publication number: 20040058294
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for zone controlling the temperature of a rotating roll. The apparatus includes a roll having a surface at a first temperature and a belt disposed adjacent at least a portion of the surface of the roll. The belt contacts the roll surface in a contact region and has a second temperature that is different from the first temperature of the roll such that the belt affects a temperature change in at least a portion of the surface of the roll in the contact region as the roll is rotated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: William J. Butsch, John William Toussant
  • Publication number: 20040045947
    Abstract: A apparatus and method for fusing toner to media in a laser imaging device. A paraboloidal trough reflector is positioned about a linear heating element to focus and concentrate radiant energy emitted from the heating element onto a thermal spreader. The thermal spreader absorbs the radiant energy and converts it to heat. A thermoplastic fusing roller is rotatably supported about the bulb heater, the reflector and the thermal spreader. A pressure roller is supported to urge media against the fusing roller at the position of the thermal spreader. Fusing heat is conducted from the thermal spreader, through the fusing roller and to the media. The pressure roller is driven to rotate, thereby advancing the media through the fusing unit to fuse the toner thereto. Additionally, the present teachings disclose a printing device having a fusing unit with a bulb heater that emits user non-perceivable light. A mechanism is included for conveying light from the bulb heater to a location within the printing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Inventor: Eric Unger Eskey
  • Patent number: 6683284
    Abstract: A thermal roll for efficiently transferring heat to or from a web is provided. The thermal roll includes a rotatable outer shell having a cylindrical outer mantle and a stationary inner shell within the rotatable outer shell. An annular space is defined between an inner surface of the rotatable outer shell and an outer surface of the stationary inner shell. The annular space of a relatively low volume is filled with a heat exchange fluid, such as oil or water, that exchanges heat with a fibrous web through the mantle of the rotatable outer shell. The low volume of the annular space enables high heat transfer rates to the web and quick and efficient changes to the temperature of the heat exchange fluid. The thermal roll is adaptable for use as various types of rolls, such as calender rolls, press rolls, drying cylinders, and Yankee cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Metso Paper Karlstad AB
    Inventors: Gustaf Per-Arne Nyman, Johnny Ånerud
  • Patent number: 6665504
    Abstract: A fusing device of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a tubular internal pipe sealed at its ends to maintain a predetermined internal pressure to accommodate a predetermined amount of a working fluid in its inner space, a heater installed to wrap the internal pipe to generate heat, a power supply unit electrically connected to the heater to supply an external power to the heater, a cylindrical roller installed to wrap the heater, and end caps installed at both ends of the cylindrical roller. Each of the end caps includes a large-diameter portion in which an electrode electrically connected to the power supply unit is to be installed, and a small-diameter portion fittingly fixed to the end of the cylindrical roller by a locking unit. The fusing device has the end caps at both ends of a fusing roller to supply securely electricity from the power supply unit to the heater supplying heat to the fusing roller, thereby providing a maximized durability and operating safety to the fusing roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronic Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung-woo Lee, Tae-ken Oh
  • Patent number: 6661992
    Abstract: A fusing roller of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided. The fusing roller includes an internal pipe having enclosed both ends in which a vacuum state of predetermined pressure is maintained and a predetermined amount of working fluid is stored, a fusing portion installed to surround the internal pipe, and a heating portion comprised of a helical resistance heating coil which is installed between the fusing portion and the internal pipe and generates heat. The distance between windings becomes smaller at the ends of the fusing roller than at the center to compensate for the higher dissipation of heat at the ends of the fusing roller than at the center. The result is a fusing roller that can quickly heat up and that has a uniform temperature along the surface of the fusing roller from end to end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6652273
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for zone controlling the temperature of a rotating roll. The apparatus includes a roll having a surface at a first temperature and a belt disposed adjacent at least a portion of the surface of the roll. The belt contacts the roll surface in a contact region and has a second temperature that is different from the first temperature of the roll such that the belt affects a temperature change in at least a portion of the surface of the roll in the contact region as the roll is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: William J. Butsch, John William Toussant
  • Patent number: 6649880
    Abstract: A heating roller device is used to fix a film to a sheet in a laminator, and has two heating rollers. Each of the rollers includes a hollow support shaft, a roller body disposed rotatably around the support shaft, and a heating element disposed in the roller body. An electrical wire extends into the support shaft, and is in electrical connection with the heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Inventor: Steven Yue
  • Publication number: 20030189038
    Abstract: A method and device for winding and baking compact coils of wire with at least one baked enamel layer on a heated winding mandrel. The method includes providing the winding mandrel at the beginning of winding with a temperature which is above the softening temperature of the baked lacquer. The device includes at least one electrical heating cartridge arranged in the interior of the winding mandrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Applicant: AKG Acoustics GmbH
    Inventor: Djordjevic Milorad
  • Publication number: 20030183610
    Abstract: A belt-type fixing device for an image forming apparatus is capable of raising a temperature to a level suitable for a fixing process in a short period of time with high heating efficiency. A fixing belt is entrained in spanning relation between a heating plate providing a heat generator on the inner surface of the semi-cylindrical plate and a pressing pad disposed at a distance from the heating plate. A pressing roller is disposed at a position opposing the pressing pad. The fixing belt is revolved by rotating the pressing roller. A recording medium having a toner adhered thereto is caused to pass through a nip portion of the fixing belt and the pressing roller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: MINOLTA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Okabayashi, Takashi Kidokoro
  • Publication number: 20030178406
    Abstract: A thermal roll for efficiently transferring heat to or from a web is provided. The thermal roll includes a rotatable outer shell having a cylindrical outer mantle and a stationary inner shell within the rotatable outer shell. An annular space is defined between an inner surface of the rotatable outer shell and an outer surface of the stationary inner shell. The annular space of a relatively low volume is filled with a heat exchange fluid, such as oil or water, that exchanges heat with a fibrous web through the mantle of the rotatable outer shell. The low volume of the annular space enables high heat transfer rates to the web and quick and efficient changes to the temperature of the heat exchange fluid. The thermal roll is adaptable for use as various types of rolls, such as calender rolls, press rolls, drying cylinders, and Yankee cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: METSO PAPER KARLSTAD AB
    Inventors: Gustaf Per-Arne Nyman, Johnny Anerud
  • Publication number: 20030178407
    Abstract: A heating roller device is used to fix a film to a sheet in a laminator, and has two heating rollers. Each of the rollers includes a hollow support shaft, a roller body disposed rotatably around the support shaft, and a heating element disposed in the roller body. An electrical wire extends into the support shaft, and is in electrical connection with the heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Inventor: Steven Yue
  • Publication number: 20030170055
    Abstract: An image heating device having a predetermined amount of heat generation with a small electric current. The device comprises a heat-generating roller (1) having magnetism and conductivity, an exciting coil (5) opposed to the peripheral face of the heat-generating roller (1) and adapted for allowing the heat-generating roller (1) to generate heat with electromagnetic induction. The exciting coil (5) is composed of a bundle of 60 copper wires of a 0.2 mm diameter are extended in the direction of the rotation axis of the heat-generating roller (1) and they are circumferentially wound along the circumferential direction of the heat-generating roller (1). The bundled wires are arranged in close contact with each other in the circumferential, direction of the heat-generating roller (1) so as to cover the upper half of the heat-generating roller (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Terada, Masaru Imai, Hideki Tatematsu, Akinori Toyoda, Kenji Asakura, Syuichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6611670
    Abstract: A fusing apparatus for heat fixing toner images onto a receiver medium. The apparatus includes a fuser member including an elastomeric contact surface; a pressure member forming a fusing nip to receive the receiver medium; a heater member including a conformable base cushion layer and an outer polymeric layer disposed over the base cushion layer, the heater member being in contact with the fuser and external thereto; and a radiant heat subsystem positioned externally of the heater member to provide heat to the surface of the first heater member which then contacts the fuser member so as to transfer heat thereto. The heater member is adapted to controllably exert pressure on the fuser member in order to controllably transfer heat to the fuser member, thereby providing control over the fusing capabilities of an eletrophotographic process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: NexPress Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Jiann Hsing Chen, Andrew Ciaschi, Joseph A. Pavlisko, Robert A. Lancaster, James H. Hurst, Charles E. Hewitt, Nataly Boulatnikov
  • Patent number: 6594455
    Abstract: A fusing roller having an electrical connection between the heater and the external power supply of an electrophotographic image formation apparatus is provided. The fusing roller having an electrical connection between the heater and the external power supply includes an electrically insulating cap and a conductive slip ring installed near the cap. The slip ring is supplied with current from an external power supply and transmits the current to a heater disposed within a hermetically sealed fusing roller by a pair of conducting caps. Due to such a structure, durability and safety can be considerably improved against many stresses such as an electrical current stress, a mechanical residual heat stress and a thermal shock according when an electrical connection between the heater and the external power supply of a fusing roller is employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 6583389
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus that has an elongated heater, a film having a surface which moves while in contact with a recording material bearing an image, wherein the image on the recording material is heated by heat emitted from the heater via the film. The heater has a substrate made of metal and the substrate has a convex portion in a longitudinal direction of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Murooka, Nobukazu Adachi, Akira Hayakawa, Takeshi Niimura
  • Patent number: 6580895
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium. In one embodiment, the fusing system contains a fuser roller configured as a heat pipe including an inner tube and a coaxial outer tube that is mounted to the inner tube, the inner and outer tubes defining an interior space therebetween that is adapted to contain a liquid and to be evacuated so as be maintained in a vacuum, and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller. In another embodiment, the fusing system contains a fuser roller, a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller, and an external heating roller in contact with the fuser roller, the external heating roller being configured as a heat pipe including an inner tube and a coaxial outer tube that is mounted to the inner tube, the inner and outer tubes defining an interior space therebetween that is adapted to contain a liquid and to be evacuated so as be maintained in a vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: B. Mark Hirst, Mark Wibbels, Kenneth E. Heath
  • Patent number: 6580896
    Abstract: A structurally improved fusing roller assembly based on the heat pipe principle is provided. The fusing roller assembly includes a fusing roller and a heat pipe coaxially mounted inside the fusing roller. A resistance heater is helically wound around the exterior cylindrical surface of the heat pipe, and rests between the inner cylindrical surface of the fusing roller and the exterior cylindrical surface of the heat pipe. The heat pipe is hermetically sealed with a quantity of a working fluid contained inside. The surface of fusing roller can be instantaneously heated up to a target fusing temperature. The fusing roller assembly can be heated up to a target fusing temperature within a shorter period of time without need for warm-up and stand-by period, so that power consumption decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung-woo Lee
  • Publication number: 20030102300
    Abstract: A roller heating system for a laminating machine comprises a first rolling shaft and a second rolling shaft, wherein the first rolling shaft and the second rolling shaft are parallel with each other, and a heating mechanism is mounted on the respective surface of the two rolling shafts. Then, a heat conduction layer wraps up the respective surface of the above-mentioned rolling shafts as well as the heating mechanisms. When the lamination proceeds, the heat mechanisms firstly heat the heat conduction layers to a working temperature and at the same time, the first and second rolling shafts respectively rotate in a predetermined direction, and then an article covered with laminating plastic films is fed into the roller heating system. The heat conduction layers heat the laminating plastic films to melt the fusion gum of the inner surfaces of the laminating plastic films, and subsequently the laminating plastic films are forced by the compression of the first and second rolling shafts to adhere to the article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Applicant: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Shin-Fu Lin