Apparatus for biasing the curvature of an image carrier on a transfer drum

A print engine paper feed device for feeding paper onto a rotating image carrier with an arcuate surface and extracting the paper therefrom, comprising:

• a directing device for directing a sheet of paper with a substantially planar conformation along a defined path;
• a precurl device for deforming said sheet of paper to have an arcuate deformation in the direction of the rotating image carrier, that allows said sheet of paper to follow an arcuate path in the direction of curvature of the surface of the rotating image carrier defined as a predetermined number of degrees of path curvature per path millimeter of travel that is greater than a predetermined minimum and a combined curl-droop angle than a predetermined minimum, said curl-droop angle defined as the sum of the angle of repose of the said sheet of paper prior to deformation thereof over an unsupported fixed length and the angle of curl of said sheet of paper over a fixed length after deformation thereof;
• an attachment device for attaching the paper to the rotating image carrier after arcuate deformation thereof by said precurl device;
• an image transfer mechanism for transferring a developed latent image onto the sheet of paper attached to the rotating image carrier;
• a paper gripper for extracting the paper from the surface of the rotating image carrier after the developed latent image has been transferred thereto;
• and
• a decurl device for deforming the sheet of paper in the opposite direction that said precurl device deforms the sheet of paper such that said sheet of paper after processing by said decurl device has a substantially planar conformation.

A method for creating and transferring an image to an image carrier, comprising the steps of:

• providing a photoconductor member having a latent image carrying surface having at least a portion thereof with an arcuate surface;
• creating a latent image on the photoconductor member;
• providing an arcuate transfer support member;
• disposing the photoconductor member proximate to the transfer support member to create a transfer nip therebetween such that the transfer nip is formed between the surface of the transfer support member and the arcuate portion of the photoconductor member surface;
• providing a flexible image carrier having an initial planar conformation;
• feeding the image carrier onto the surface of the image support member at a point prior to the image transfer nip and applying a curvature bias thereto such that the image carrier has an arcuate conformation in the direction of curvature of the transfer support member;
• selectively extracting the image carrier from the transfer support member on the opposite side of the transfer support member from the attachment point and applying a curvature bias thereto opposite to the curvature bias provided in the step of feeding such that the image carrier is substantially returned to the initial planar conformation;
• and
• rotating the transfer support member and the photoconductor member to draw the image carrier through the transfer nip and transfer the latent image thereto.