UV toner fusing
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDavid M. Payne, Richard L. Payne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for fusing toner to a laser printed page. The apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a laser optic system for tracing an image on the photosensitive drum, a toner supply electrically charged opposite the image traced on the photosensitive drum, and an ultraviolet light source for imparting energy to the toner to fuse the toner to the page. The apparatus facilitates faster print speeds and lower energy consumption than conventional laser printers that require heating elements to fuse the toner to the page.
Claims31
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- a translucent roller;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for curing an image on a print medium.
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ultraviolet light source is disposed in the translucent roller.
A toner fusing apparatus comprising:
- at least one translucent roller in a laser printer, the at least one translucent roller comprising an ultraviolet light source disposed therein.
A method of printing an image on a print medium by the electrophotography process comprising the step of:
- fusing a UV sensitive toner suspension to the print medium by applying UV light to the toner, the fusing occurring separate from transfer of the UV sensitive toner to the print medium.
A method of fusing an image to a print medium comprising the steps of:
- transferring toner from at least one photoconductive drum of a laser printer to the print medium;
- and
- separately fusing the toner to the print medium by the application of UV light to the toner.
A borosilicate cylinder comprising a UV light source therein.
A chemical compound comprising:
- an ultraviolet light curable resin;
- toner particles suspended in the resin;
- and
- a charge director.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a toner transfer system for transferring toner to a print medium;
- and
- a UV light station separate from the toner transfer system for fusing the toner to the print medium by the application of UV light to the toner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.