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US 5,515,148 AGranted
Resonator assembly including a waveguide member having inactive end segments
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorDavid B. Montfort
Life of this patent
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AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorDavid B. Montfort
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for enhancing toner release from an image bearing member moving in a process direction in an electrostatographic printing machine, including a resonator arranged in line contact with the back side of the image bearing member for applying vibratory energy to the image bearing member. The resonator includes a vibratory energy producing element such as a piezoelectric transducer for generating the vibratory energy and a waveguide member coupled to the vibratory energy producing element for directing the vibratory energy to the image bearing surface, wherein the waveguide member is divided into segments along a longitudinal axis thereof forming a plurality of waveguide segments with each waveguide segment being separated by a segmentation slot. The waveguide member of the present invention includes extended inactive end segments situated along opposite ends of the waveguide member and effectively decoupled from an active portion of the resonator for providing a stable mounting point for the resonator, which can be firmly attached to an external point in the electrostatographic printing machine without affecting the vibrational response of the active portion of the resonator such that substantially uniform vibratory energy can be generated across the length of the resonator. The resonator is preferably incorporated into a toner transfer system for enhancing transfer of toner from an image bearing member moving in a process direction, with the resonator positioned generally transverse to the process direction of movement of the image bearing member.
A resonator assembly for applying uniform vibratory energy to an adjacent surface, comprising:
A system for enhancing release of toner from an image bearing member moving in a process direction, including a resonator assembly for applying uniform vibratory energy to the image bearing member, comprising:
An electrostatographic printing apparatus having a system for enhancing transfer of toner from an image bearing member moving in a process direction including a resonator assembly adapted to contact the image bearing member, generally transverse to the process direction of movement thereof, for applying uniform vibratory energy thereto, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.