Electrophotographic color printer using grit wheels for imparting linear motion to the printed media

Abstract

A color printer and method of operation wherein a plurality of color toners located within a fixed position carousel are transferred to the surface of a photoconductive drum. The media on which a printed image is to be formed is mounted on a stationary platform beneath the photoconductive drum, and the printed media is driven linearly back and forth on the fixed position platform during the formation of each of the cyan, yellow, magenta, and black color planes on the media. Then the media containing thee composite cyan, yellow, magenta, and black color image is passed through a pair of fuser rollers wherein the composite color image is fused into the media before the media is passed to an output media collection bin. During the above operation, the media supporting platform moves vertically in and out of contact with the photoconductive drum, allowing a pair of grit wheels to linearly move the paper within the printer housing and along the surfaces of contoured paper guides at each end of the platform. This feature minimizes the linear path of media travel in the printer, and in turn enables a significant reduction in the linear media travel dimension of the color printer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.