Heat and pressure roll fuser with substantially uniform velocity
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorRabin Moser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat and pressure roll fuser is disclosed for fixing powder images to various substrates. Each of the rolls has a deformable outer layer. One of the rollers is crowned such that its center has a larger diameter than its ends. The other roller has a uniform diameter along its entire length. The difference in the center diameter and the end diameters is such that the fuser produces a substantially uniform nip and a uniform nip velocity. A flared pressure roll is provided for controlling the speed of substrate edges to compensate for waviness along the substrate edges, such waviness being due to moisture picked up by the substrates while being stored prior to being used for duplex imaging.
Claims4
Fuser apparatus for fixing toner images to various substrates, said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of roller members each comprising an outer deformable elastomeric layer;
- one of said roller members having a nonuniform diameter such that its center has a larger diameter than its ends;
- another of said roller members having flared ends;
- said ends of said one of said roller members having a dimension that produces a substantially uniform nip profile and a uniform nip velocity when moved in pressure engagement with said another of said roller members, said ends of said one of said roller members including a thickness equivalent to an amount of flare on said another of said roller members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.