Fuser Assembly with Automatic Media Width Sensing and Thermal Compensation

A heater assembly for a fuser unit of an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:

• a substrate;
• at least one resistive trace disposed on the substrate and running along a length thereof, the at least one resistive trace for generating heat for fusing toner to a sheet of media when current is passed therethrough;
• at least three conductors for passing current through the at least one resistive trace, the at least three conductors comprising:
• a first conductor connected to a first end portion of the at least one resistive trace;
• a second conductor connected to a second end portion of the at least one resistive trace opposite the first end portion;
• and
• a third conductor connected to the at least one resistive trace at a first location between the first and second end portions of the at least one resistive trace;
• a temperature sensor coupled to the substrate at a location between attachment points of the first and third conductors to the at least one resistive trace, the temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of an edge segment of the substrate between the first location and the first end portion;
• and
• circuitry communicatively coupled to the temperature sensor and operative to control current passing through the at least one resistive trace, by switching between passing the current through the first conductor and passing the current through the third conductor, based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

A heater element for a fuser of an electrophotographic imaging device, comprising:

• a substrate;
• at least one resistive trace disposed on a surface of the substrate and running along a length thereof;
• and
• a first conductor connected to a first end portion of the at least one resistive trace, a second conductor connected to a second end portion of the at least one resistive trace opposite the first end portion thereof, and a third conductor connected to the at least one resistive trace at a first location between the first and second end portions thereof, the first, second, and third conductors for passing current through at least portions of the at least one resistive trace;
• wherein applying electrical energy from a power source to the first and second conductors causes the current to pass through the at least one resistive trace between the first and second end portions thereof, and applying electrical energy to the third and second conductors causes the current to pass through the at least one resistive trace between the second end portion and the first location thereof.