Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for fusing toner to a print medium. According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a laser source optically coupled to a predefined position in a print medium pathway. A laser beam generated by the laser source is directed to fall upon the print medium shuttled along the print medium pathway. Finally, a laser controller is coupled to the laser source to control the laser beam to generate a predefined fusing exposure of the laser beam on the print medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is a printer apparatus that ensures temperature control of a heat-up roller in a fixing unit thereof. An image-forming unit forms an image to be transferred onto a recording material. The fixing unit fixes the image onto the recording material. The fixing unit includes a heat-up roller, a heating section for heating the heat-up roller, a power supply section for supplying power to the heating section, and a heat controller for controlling the power supply section. The heat controller is disposed in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the heat-up roller. When heated to temperatures above a predetermined value, the heat controller is thermally deformed and leaves the inner circumferential surface of said heat-up roller to interrupt the power supply of said power supply section to said heating section.

Abstract: A printing machine is disclosed, that combines charged image pattern creation techniques of electrostatic imaging with the coloration capabilities of dye sublation to produce novel color printing systems offering unique advantages in copy quality, costs, speed, and security. Donor particles having a sublimable dye coated thereon are employed with electrostatic imaging techniques to create a temporary donor image. Uniform heat is applied to sublime dyes from the donor particle pattern into the final image support member.

Abstract: A method for reversible imaging of a printing form is provided included feeding a coated transfer film between a printing form and an image information transfer unit having a transfer head. A surface of the printing form is then imaged using image data oriented activation to transfer the transfer film coating in the form of image spots to the printing form. The transfer film is removed from between the printing form and the image information transfer unit. The transferred image spots are fixed on the printing form by re-imaging or fixing the image spots using image data oriented activation. Remaining image information from the printing form is removed or erased once the printing operation is complete so that the printing form is capable of being used in a subsequent printing operation. A device for performing the method is also provided. Optionally, a single laser beam or a plurality of laser beams may be used in the device.

Abstract: A thermographic imaging system in which exposed thermographic imaging media is moved along a path, apparatus comprising: a movable member of thermally conductive material located along said path, said member having a first dimension parallel to said path and a second dimension perpendicular to said path, said member having a first side which thermally contacts media moved along said path and a second opposite side, a first electrical heater in thermal contact with said second side of said member; a second electrical heater in thermal contact with said second side of said member, said second electrical heater having a plurality of separately activated segments extending in said first dimension, and a control for selectively activating said segments as media is moved along said path into contiguity with each said segments.

Abstract: In a film heating system, since a heating body is in contact with the conductive ring at an end portion of the heating body, heat body through the conductive ring, with the result that the quantity of heat imparted to the object to be heated is uneven inside the nip. This causes low quality of an image since it leads to faulty end-portion fixing, uneven fixing and uneven glossy. In order to solve this problem, a heater capable of suppressing faulty image heating is provided.

Abstract: A process including:

Abstract: A matte laser printer produces a photographic like image on media by repeatedly fusing the toners deposited thereon. In a preferred embodiment, repeated fusing is accomplished by utilizing a duplexing path in the printer. In an alternate embodiment, a processing flow direction of the media is selectively reversed after fusing to enable multiple fusing operations. In either case, toner forming the image on the media is more fully fused, thereby reducing light scatter, such that a photographic like image is produced.

Abstract: A matte laser printer produces a photographic like image on media by repeatedly fusing the toners deposited thereon. In a preferred embodiment, repeated fusing is accomplished by utilizing a duplexing path in the printer. In an alternate embodiment, a processing flow direction of the media is selectively reversed after fusing to enable multiple fusing operations. In either case, toner forming the image on the media is more fully fused, thereby reducing light scatter, such that a photographic like image is produced.

Abstract: The electromagnetic induction heating device has a simple construction, holds an object to be heated in a favorable heating condition while effectively suppressing the irregularities of heat generation of the object to be heated, and reduces an energy consumption. The electromagnetic induction heating device which heats the object to be heated provided with at least an electromagnetic induction heat generating layer includes a magnetic core made of magnetic material which is disposed in such a manner that it faces the electromagnetic induction heat generating layer of the object to be heated in an opposed manner, and an exciting coil which is wound around the magnetic core and generates a fluctuation magnetic field which penetrates the electromagnetic induction heat generating layer.

Abstract: A method of decreasing wait time for a printed page and an image forming device implementing the method which includes an output transport mechanism configured to provide a higher linear velocity for print media than the linear velocity at which the media is transported through the rest of the image forming device. The rollers or other motion imparting apparatus of the output transport mechanism are driven at a higher linear velocity, but connected to their drive source using a slip drive mechanism. The slip drive mechanism maintains a predetermined tension on the media so that the media cannot be deformed before it has completely exited from the print engine. The overall time needed to deliver a printed image to the user is significantly shortened.

Abstract: A thermal processor for a thermally developable imaging element including a movable member having a heated surface and a plurality of contact flaps biased toward the heated surface of the member. The plurality of contact flaps can be located immediately adjacent each other and the heated surface and the plurality of contact flaps can be positioned to receive the imaging element therebetween.

Abstract: A heater of a fixing unit of a recording apparatus is constructed by a main heater and a sub heater. When the apparatus is in a standby mode, each heater is first turned off. When a temperature of the fixing unit is equal to or lower than a heating start temperature of the sub heater, the sub heater is turned on. After that, when the temperature of the fixing unit reaches a heating stop temperature of the sub heater, the sub heater is turned off. After that, when the temperature of the fixing unit is equal to or lower than the heating start temperature, the main heater is turned on. After that, when it reaches the heating stop temperature of the main heater, the main heater is turned off. The above operations are repeated. In the recording mode, the order of the on/off periods in a control unit time of each heater is switched every period and the temperature control is executed, thereby reducing a flickering.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus prevents the offset of toner onto a fixing roller, by forming a surface mold release layer made of pure fluororesin material on a core member of the fixing roller and by applying a bias voltage to the fixing roller.

Abstract: A printer unit of a printer device having at least one printer unit which includes at least one toner container for toner particles and an electrode unit, including electrodes and apertures surrounded at least partly by the electrodes. The electrode unit is arranged to control the transportation of the toner particles by means of attraction fields from a toner carrier member arranged in the toner container or in a space communicating with it towards a back electrode and an information carrier insertable between the toner carrier member and the back electrode. The toner carrier member, the electrode unit, and/or the back electrode are arranged to form a transportation zone between two most remote transversal electrodes and generate the attraction fields, which through the apertures attract the toner particles towards the back electrode.

Abstract: A color electrophotographic printer having a printing process which records a toner image of one color or two colors in a pixel by one exposure. The color electrophotographic printer includes a memory which stores exposure data corresponding to respective pixels of input data of an image, a photosensitive body and at least one charger which charges the photosensitive body. At least one exposing machine exposes respective pixels on the photosensitive body based on the exposure data and a developing machine develops toner of one color or two colors in the exposed respective pixels and forms a toner image. A transfer machine transfers the toner image onto a printing medium and a fixing machine having a belt which fixes the transferred toner image on the printing medium. The belt is controlled so that a relative speed difference occurs between the printing medium and the belt at a position along the belt at least when the developed toner of two colors in one pixel of an image of the printing medium is fixed.

Abstract: A processor for processing thermal media, comprising: a rotatably mounted heated drum; and a set of holddown rollers spaced around a segment of the periphery of the drum and in contact therewith, the drum and the set of rollers forming a path for thermal media; wherein the set of rollers includes at least first and second rollers of different diameters one from the other in order to suppress artifacts.

Abstract: In a laser beam printer, automatic optical quantity (APC) control is performed based on an optical quantity detection output to generate a laser beam having a predetermined quantity of light. In each scanning cycle, APC is effected by utilizing a period (unblanking period) in which the laser device is forcibly actuated to generate a horizontal synchronization signal. The unblanking period may be changed according to the print paper size or image formation/non-image-formation periods. Also, light quantity control may be effected through a plurality of scanning cycles before image formation and may be effected by utilizing the unblanking period during the period corresponding to the intervals of print sheets. Techniques also provided to prevent a transfer unit from being contaminated by toner images formed as a byproduct of APC.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for preparing a digital disc-literature assembly. In the method, a sheet of print media is electrophotographically printed. The sheet has a literature portion bearing a fused toner image and a transfer portion bearing a transferable toner image. The transferable toner image and the face of a digital disc are placed in registration and the transferable toner image is fused to the face of the digital disc. The literature portion is configured for inclusion with the digital disc. The digital disc and literature are assembled.

Abstract: An electrophotographic laser printing process using dry low gloss toner formulations for producing either low gloss images or high gloss images. In an instance when a low gloss image is produced, the process selects a low gloss paper, and all other parameters of the process of printing low gloss images are consistent with known parameters for the production of electrophotographic low gloss images using dry toner formulations. In order to produce a high gloss image using a low gloss toner formulation, the method involves selecting a high gloss media, if available, from a media source and reducing the feed speed of the media through the process. Additionally, the fuser roller temperature is increased to ensure maximum fixing and fusing of the toner to produce a single voidless plane of toner on top of the media which exhibits a high reflective index and results in less light scattering at the surface of the toner.

Abstract: An image output control apparatus is constructed by a converter for converting first information to second information, a controller for starting an output preparing operation before the conversion of the first information of one page to the second information, a memory for holding a control value determined during the output preparing operation, a unit for temporarily stopping the output preparing operation, and a unit for restarting the output preparing operation, wherein the output preparing operation to be restarted is executed on the basis of the control value held in the memory.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a fixing device fixes a toner image transferred to a sheet, but held in an unstable state, temporarily on the sheet by a Johnson Rahbeck effect. The fixed image firmly adhere to the sheet and is free from disturbance or suffers from a minimum of disturbance.

Abstract: A thermal processor includes an air flow preventing means that substantially prevents the flow of air from a processor exit into a thermal processing compartment. The prevention of air flow reduces processing defects that otherwise could occur in sheets of thermally processed material handled by the thermal processor. The reduction of processing defects enhances the quality of the sheet of thermally processed material. In particular, the reduction of processing defects can enhance image quality of a sheet of photothermographic imaging material. The prevention of air flow reduces processing defects by maintaining a substantially uniform temperature within a thermal processing compartment of the thermal processor, and by reducing the condensation of fatty acids on interior surfaces of the thermal processing compartment prior to filtration.

Abstract: A color printer incorporating the invention hereof includes an ionographic image projection head which employs AC and DC potentials to provide an ion pool from which ions may be projected onto a movable dielectric surface. Plural developer modules are arranged about the dielectric surface, each developer module including an ion imaging head and a color toner module. Each developer module, after ion-beam imaging the movable dielectric surface, develops the charge image on the dielectric surface by bringing it into contact with a single color toner module. A processor controls each ionographic image projection head and each associated toner module to immediately apply the color toner after imaging of the dielectric surface. A transfer station is located downstream from the plural developer modules and enables transfer of the full color toned image from the dielectric surface to a sheet after a single pass of the dielectric surface past the plural developer modules.

Abstract: An electrophotography recording method is adapted to a recording apparatus having a carriage which includes processing means for forming a latent image on an image bearing member that is rotatable about an axis parallel to a transport direction of a recording sheet by charging the image bearing member and for developing the latent image, where the carriage is successively moved for each 1 line region having a width corresponding to a width of the image bearing member in a main scanning direction which is perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording sheet so that a developed image on the image bearing member is transferred and thermally fixed on the recording sheet.

Abstract: Coated sheets or substrates such as paper, opaque MYLAR, TESLIN or the like are utilized in the creation of simulated, photographic-quality prints formed using non photographic imaging procedures such as xerography and ink jet. A first substrate which is transparent has a reverse reading black image formed thereon. Such an image may be formed using conventional monochromatic xerography. A second substrate is xerographically imaged for forming a uniform color image layer thereon. The foregoing results in a simulated color photographic-quality print which when viewed through the non-imaged side of the transparent substrate contains right reading reading images which exhibit color even though they are formed using black toner.

Abstract: A carriage is constructed such that a processing part and a fixing part are fitted to a sliding part, wherein a frame on which an exposer and a process motor are mounted is rotatably fitted to the sliding part, and a housing which accommodates the fixing part and the processing part not including the exposer is rotatably and detachably fitted to the frame.

Abstract: An electrophotographic serial printing apparatus includes: a transporting unit for transporting a recording sheet in a sheet transport direction; a processing unit including a unit for uniformly charging a photosensitive drum which is rotated, a unit for exposing the photosensitive drum to form a latent image, and a unit for developing the latent image to form a developed image on the photosensitive drum, a transferring unit for transferring the developed image from the photosensitive drum to the recording sheet; a fixing unit for fixing the developed image to the recording sheet by using a fixing roller after the developed image is transferred to the recording sheet, the fixing unit including a holding member for holding the fixing roller; a carriage unit on which the processing unit and the fixing unit are arranged; a moving unit for moving the carriage unit over the transferring unit in directions perpendicular to the sheet transport direction; and a heating unit for heating the fixing roller through an in

Abstract: A serial printer has a transport mechanism for transporting a recording sheet in a sheet transport direction, a process part including an image bearing member with a rotary shaft which extends in a direction parallel to the sheet transport direction for forming a latent image on the image bearing member by charging the image bearing member and developing the latent image into a developed image, a fixing unit for fixing the developed image on the image bearing member onto the recording sheet, and a carriage movable in a carriage moving direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction and supporting the process part and the fixing unit. The process part and the fixing unit are independently movable on the carriage.

Abstract: A recording apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus comprises a first control unit to perform a control regarding the generation of dot data, a second control unit for controlling the recording operation, a fan to reduce a temperature in the apparatus, a heat fixing device having a heater, and detectors such as thermistors for detecting temperatures at a plurality of positions near the fixing device. Each of the first and second control units generates a first control signal to control the rotation of the fan on the basis of detection outputs from the thermistors. The heat fixing device has a cylindrical endless film made by polyimide or the like whose inner surface is come into contact with the heater and a pressure roller which is come into contact with the outside of the endless film. A recording paper is sandwiched between the film and the pressure roller and passes therebetween.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a feeder means and a recorder. The feeder feeds a sheet of recording paper to a predetermined position in response to a spare paper feed signal instructing the feeding of the sheet of recording paper to the predetermined position preliminarily, and then feeds the sheet of recording paper being stopped at the predetermined position again in response to a record request signal. The recorder records an image on the sheet of recording paper fed by the feeder means through an electrophotographic process. The recorder means starts preparation to execute the electrophotographic process upon receiving the spare paper feed signal. As a result throughput is increased without causing other problems.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine includes a transporting part for transporting a recording medium, and a carriage movable in a first direction transverse to a second direction in which the recording medium is transported. The carriage includes a process part for forming a latent image on an image carrier and forming a toner image of the latent image, and a fixing part for thermally fixing a transferred image corresponding to the toner image on the recording medium. A transfer part, which is provided at a first side of the recording medium opposite to a second side thereof at which the carriage is located, transfers the toner image on the recording medium to thereby form the transferred image. A refuge part in which the fixing part can take refuge is located at a side of the transfer part and located in a print starting position in which the fixing part provided in the carriage is located so as to prevent the transfer part from being thermally affected by the fixing part.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for printing using an intermediate member acting as a receptor for marking particles representing an image. The marking particles may be deposited directly or indirectly on the member, after which time the member is exposed, via an internal heat source, to an elevated temperature sufficient to cause the melting and coalescing of the marking particles. Subsequently, the intermediate member is advanced so as to place the tackified marking particles present on the outer surface thereof into intimate contact with the surface of a recording sheet.

Abstract: A serial type electrophotography printer includes a transport mechanism for transporting a recording sheet in a transport direction, a carriage including a process part and a fixing unit, where the process part includes an image bearing member rotatable about a rotary axis parallel to the transport direction of the recording sheet and a toner developing a latent image formed by charging the image bearing member, the fixing unit includes a rotatable fixing member and a heater for heating the fixing member, and the fixing member fixes a developed image which is transferred onto the recording sheet from the image bearing member, a driving mechanism for rotating the image bearing member and the fixing member when the carriage is moved to carry out developing, transfer and fixing processes with respect to the recording sheet, and for rotating at least one of the image bearing member and the fixing member during a predetermined time other than the time when the carriage is moved to carry out the developing, transfe

Abstract: A dry-type toner is temporarily put on a printing paper with electrification by an electrifying unit and a toner supplying unit. A laser diode is driven on the basis of a video signal to emit a laser beam by which the dry-type toner put on the printing paper is melted and fixed thereon. A remaining toner that was not melted on the printing paper is eliminated by a cleaning unit. A printing by the laser beam can be realized most easily without using expensive parts such as a photosensitive material or the like and without increasing its mechanism and circuit scale.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in electrophotographic printing for fusing a toner image onto or into a print medium. A high energy laser beam is projected onto a toner image on a print medium for softening or fusing the toner. Pressure is then applied to the toner against the print medium to permanently fix the toner image onto or into the print medium as a printed image. The high energy laser beam for softening or fusing the toner is synchronized in scan frequency, either at the scan frequency or a whole multiple of the scan frequency, with the low energy image modulated laser beam which scans to photoconductive drum, being reflected from selected facets of a common scanner, or from a selected facet of each of a pair of relatively angularly displaced interconnected scanners.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for heat development of a migration imaging member containing migration marking material and a softenable material capable of softening upon exposure to heat at a development temperature, which apparatus comprises a heating source, a conveyance means for conveying the migration imaging member past the heating source, a first pinch roller in contact with the conveyance means, and a second pinch roller in contact with the conveyance means, wherein the imaging member passes through a nip between the conveyance means and the first pinch roller subsequent to entering the apparatus and prior to exposure to the heating source and passes through a nip between the conveyance means and the second pinch roller subsequent to exposure to the heating source and prior to exiting the apparatus, wherein the surface temperature of the first pinch roller is maintained at a temperature at least 20.degree. C.

Abstract: An electrostatic printing apparatus is arranged to generate an electrostatic latent image on an image supporting medium having an insulating releasing layer and a resin thin film layer formed successively on an electrically conductive substrate, to generate a toner image on the resin thin film layer by developing the electrostatic latent image with a toner solution, and to transfer the toner image together with the resin thin film layer to a recording medium by superposing the recording medium on the resin thin film layer of the image supporting medium with the toner image formed on the resin thin film layer and pressing and heating at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature of the resin thin film layer.