Edge wear reducing pressure roller and an elelctostatographic reproduction machine having same

A fusing apparatus comprising:

• (a) a heated rotatable fuser roll;
• and
• (b) a rotatable edge wear reducing pressure roller forming a fusing nip with said heated rotatable fuser roll, said rotatable edge wear pressure roller including:
• (i) a generally cylindrical elastomeric outer layer having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, and a length for longitudinally supporting a copy sheet having a first edge and a second edge, said length having a first position for supporting said first edge of said copy sheet and a second position for supporting said second edge of said copy sheet;
• and
• (ii) a generally cylindrical core located within said generally cylindrical outer layer also having a first end, a second end, said longitudinal axis, and a length for supporting said generally cylindrical elastomeric outer layer, said generally cylindrical core including a first segment having a first diameter, and a second segment having a second diameter less than said first diameter for creating variation in elastomeric layer thickness, said second segment being located directly below said first position for supporting said first edge of said copy sheet, and below said second position for supporting said second edge of said copy sheet.

An electrostatographic reproduction machine comprising:

• (a) a moveable imaging member including an imaging surface;
• (b) imaging means for forming and transferring a toner image onto a toner image carrying sheet;
• and
• (c) fusing apparatus having a heated rotatable fuser roll and a rotatable edge wear reducing pressure roller forming a fusing nip with said heated rotatable fuser roll, said rotatable edge wear pressure roller including:
• (i) a generally cylindrical elastomeric outer layer having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, and a length for longitudinally supporting a copy sheet having a first edge and a second edge, said length having a first position for supporting said first edge of said copy sheet and a second position for supporting said second edge of said copy sheet;
• and
• (ii) a generally cylindrical core located within said generally cylindrical outer layer also having a first end, a second end, said longitudinal axis, and a length for supporting said generally cylindrical elastomeric outer layer, said generally cylindrical core including a first segment having a first diameter, and a second segment having a second diameter less than said first diameter for creating variation in elastomeric layer thickness, said second segment being located directly below said first position for supporting said first edge of said copy sheet, and below said second position for supporting said second edge of said copy sheet.