Electrostatographic apparatus having fusing process and system for improved toner offset control

In electrostatographic apparatus having means for forming toner images on respective copy sheets and fusing means, including a moving contact surface, for fusing such toner images onto those copy sheets, a system for inhibiting toner offset, said system comprising:

• a. drop generator means for controllably directing individual drops of offset-inhibiting liquid toward predetermined locations of an application region located along the movement path of said fusing means;
• b. supply means for delivering offset-inhibiting liquid to said drop generator means;
• and
• c. control means for controlling the operation of said drop generator means in timed relation with the movement of said fusing means to form predetermined patterns of offset-inhibiting liquid on the contact surface of said fusing means, said control means including memory means for receiving and storing signals indicating particular copy sheet conditions, wherein said control means receives and stores signals indicating the size of copy sheets and controls the pattern of applied drops to correspond to the particular size copy sheet contacting the fusing means, and pattern control means for changing the patterns of applied drops in response signals in said memory means, wherein said control means varies the amount of oil applied within the roller surface corresponding to a copy sheet.

In a process of producing electrostatographic copies that includes forming a toner image electrostatically attracted to a copy sheet and contact fusing the toner image to the copy sheet, an improved offset inhibiting method comprising the steps of:

• (i) moving a fusing member at a predetermined rate past an application region, upstream of its region for contact with the copy sheets;
• (ii) directing discretely generated drops of offset inhibiting liquid toward predetermined locations of said application region in predetermined timed relations to the movement of said fusing member;
• and
• (iii ) controlling the generation of drop in accordance with copy sheet weight.

In a process of producing electrostatographic copies that includes forming a toner image electrostatically attracted to a copy sheet and contact fusing the toner image to the copy sheet, an improved offset inhibiting method comprising the steps of:

• (i) moving a fusing member at a predetermined rate past an application region, upstream of its region for contact with the copy sheets;
• (ii) directing discretely generated drops of offset inhibiting liquid toward predetermined locations of said application region in predetermined timed relations to the movement of said fusing member;
• and
• (iii) controlling the generation of drop in accordance with the contents of the toner pattern on individual sheets.

In a process of producing electrostatographic copies that includes forming a toner image electrostatically attracted to a copy sheet and contact fusing the toner image to the copy sheet, an improved offset inhibiting method comprising the steps of:

• (i) moving a fusing member at a predetermined rate past an application region, upstream of its region for contact with the copy sheets;
• (ii) directing discretely generated drops of offset inhibiting liquid toward predetermined locations of said fusing member;
• and,
• (iii) controlling the generation of drops in accordance with fuser roller wear patterns.