System for registration of color separation images on a photoconductor belt

A system for registration of a plurality of latent images on a photoconductor belt, the system comprising:

• a photoconductor belt mounted about a plurality of rollers;
• a drive mechanism for driving the photoconductor belt to move about the rollers in a continuous path, wherein the photoconductor belt tends to deviate from the continuous path in a direction substantially perpendicular to the continuous path;
• a photodetector disposed to overlap an edge of the photoconductor belt;
• a first scanner for scanning a first laser beam across the moving photoconductor belt and across the photodetector, the photodetector generating a belt edge detection signal when the first laser beam is scanned across the photodetector;
• a second scanner for scanning a second laser beam across the moving photoconductor belt;
• a scan controller for modulating the first laser beam based on first image data to form a first latent image on the photoconductor belt, and modulating the second laser beam based on second image data to form a second latent image on the photoconductor belt;
• a belt steering mechanism for moving the photoconductor belt in the direction substantially perpendicular to the continuous path;
• and
• a belt steering controller for controlling the belt steering mechanism based on the belt edge detection signal to reduce deviation of the photoconductor belt from the continuous path.

A system for registration of a plurality of latent images on a photoconductor belt, the system comprising:

• a photoconductor belt mounted about a plurality of rollers;
• a drive mechanism for driving the photoconductor belt to move about the rollers in a continuous path, wherein the photoconductor belt deviates from the continuous path in a direction substantially perpendicular to the continuous path;
• a first photodetector disposed to overlap an edge of the photoconductor belt;
• a second photodetector disposed to overlap the edge of the photoconductor belt;
• a first scanner for scanning a first laser beam across the moving photoconductor belt and across the first photodetector, the first photodetector generating a first belt edge detection signal when the first laser beam is scanned across the first photodetector;
• a second scanner for scanning a second laser beam across the moving photoconductor belt and across the second photodetector, the second photodetector generating a second belt edge detection signal when the second laser beam is scanned across the second photodetector;
• a scan controller for modulating the first laser beam based on first image data to form a first latent image on the photoconductor belt, and modulating the second laser beam based on second image data to form a second latent image on the photoconductor belt;
• a belt steering mechanism for moving the photoconductor belt in the direction substantially perpendicular to the continuous path;
• and
• a belt steering controller for controlling the belt steering mechanism based on the first belt edge detection signal and the second belt edge detection signal to reduce deviation of the photoconductor belt from the continuous path.

A system for steering a photoconductor belt, the system comprising:

• a photoconductor belt mounted about a plurality of rollers;
• a drive mechanism for driving the photoconductor belt to move about the rollers in a continuous path, wherein the photoconductor belt tends to deviate from the continuous path in a direction substantially perpendicular to the continuous path;
• a photodetector disposed to overlap an edge of the photoconductor belt;
• a scanner for scanning a laser beam across at least a portion of the moving photoconductor belt and across the photodetector, the photodetector generating a belt edge detection signal when the laser beam is scanned across the photodetector;
• a belt steering mechanism for moving the photoconductor belt in the direction substantially perpendicular to the continuous path;
• and
• a belt steering controller for controlling the belt steering mechanism based on the belt edge detection signal to reduce deviation of the photoconductor belt from the continuous path.