Method and apparatus for avoiding fuser jams in an image production device

An image production device, comprising:

• a fuser, the fuser including a fuser roll and a pressure roll, wherein a fuser nip is by the fuser roll meeting the pressure roll;
• a fuser nip entrance sensor that determines an entrance velocity of media entering a fuser nip during a print job;
• a fuser nip exit sensor that determines an exit velocity of the media exiting the fuser nip;
• and
• a fuser jam avoidance unit that determines a difference between the entrance velocity and the exit velocity, wherein if the difference between the entrance velocity and the exit velocity exceeds a predetermined threshold, the fuser jam avoidance unit retracts the pressure roll away from the fuser roll for a predetermined time period and determines if the predetermined time period has expired, wherein if the predetermined time period has expired, the fuser jam avoidance unit repositions the pressure roll to meet the fuser roll to reform the fuser nip, and signals the image production device to resume printing the print job.

A computer-readable medium storing instructions for controlling a computing device for avoiding fuser jams in an image production device, the instructions comprising:

• determining an entrance velocity of media entering a fuser nip during a print job, the fuser nip being the area of a fuser formed by a fuser roll meeting a pressure roll;
• determining an exit velocity of media exiting the fuser nip;
• determining a difference between the entrance velocity and the exit velocity the fuser nip;
• determining if the difference between the entrance velocity and the exit velocity exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein if the difference between the entrance velocity and the exit velocity exceeds a predetermined threshold, retracting the pressure roll away from the fuser roll for a predetermined time period;
• determining if the predetermined time period has expired, wherein if the predetermined time period has expired, reposition the pressure roll to meet the fuser roll to reform the fuser nip;
• and
• resuming printing the print job.