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US 5,805,969 AGranted
Electrostatographic printer for imparting a modified finish to a toner image
AssigneeXeikon NV
InventorsJohan Denise Gustave Elsermans, Wim Jacques Josephine Michielsen, Jean Alois Rachel Norbert Van Daele
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrostatographic printer is provided in which a web of receiving material (12) is fed along a web path, at least one toner image is formed on at least a first face of the receiving material (12) as it is fed along the web path and the toner image is fixed onto the receiving material (12). A finishing element (66, 67) positioned downstream of the fixing station (16) contacts the first face of the receiving material (12) while the finishing element is at a temperature above the glass transition temperature T.sub.g of the toner to modify the finish of the toner image.
Claims16
An electrostatographic printer comprising:
- means for feeding a web of receiving material along a web path;
- a toner image forming device for forming a toner image, with toner having a glass transition temperature, on at least a first face of said receiving material as it is fed along said web path;
- fixing means for fixing said toner image onto said receiving material;
- at least one finishing element positioned immediately downstream of said fixing means, to contact said first face of said receiving material while a contacting surface of said toner image is at a temperature above said glass transition temperature to impart a modified finish to said toner image;
- and
- cooling means for cooling said finishing element.
3 more elements
A method of forming a toner image on a web of receiving material, comprising:
- feeding a web of receiving material along a web path;
- forming a toner image, with toner having a glass transition temperature, on at least a first face of said receiving material as it is fed along said web path;
- fixing said toner image onto said receiving material by exposure to radiation;
- cooling said receiving material using cooling means;
- and
- thereafter contacting said first face of said receiving material with at least one heated finishing element, while a contacting surface of said finishing element is at a temperature which causes the temperature of said toner image to be above said glass transition temperature of said toner, to impart a modified finish to said toner image.
3 more elements
An electrostatographic printer comprising:
- means for feeding a web of receiving material along a web path;
- a toner image forming device for forming a toner image, with toner having a glass transition temperature, on at least a first face of said receiving material as it is fed along said web path;
- fixing means for fixing said toner image onto said receiving material;
- and
- first and second finishing rollers positioned downstream of said fixing means, to contact said first face of said receiving material while a contacting surface of said toner image is at a temperature above said glass transition temperature to impart a modified finish to said toner image, wherein said first finishing roller is provided upstream of said second finishing roller, said web taking a serpentine path around said finishing rollers.
2 more elements
An electrostatographic printer comprising:
- means for feeding a web of receiving material along a web path;
- a toner image forming device for forming a toner image, with toner having a glass transition temperature, on at least a first face of said receiving material as it is fed along said web path;
- fixing means for fixing said toner image onto said receiving material;
- and
- a finishing device positioned downstream of said fixing means, to contact said first face of said receiving material while a contacting surface of said toner image is at a temperature above said glass transition temperature to impart a modified finish to said toner image, wherein said finishing device comprises a pair of finishing belts each of which passes over a respective upstream heated roller and a downstream cooled roller, so arranged to establish contact between said finishing belts.
2 more elements
An electrostatographic printer comprising:
- means for feeding a web of receiving material along a web path;
- a toner image forming device for forming a toner image, with toner having a glass transition temperature, on at least a first face of said receiving material as it is fed along said web path;
- fixing means for fixing said toner image onto said receiving material;
- at least one finishing element positioned downstream of said fixing means, to contact said first face of said receiving material while a contacting surface of said toner image is at a temperature above said glass transition temperature to impart a modified finish to said toner image;
- and
- heating means external to said finishing element to heat a web-contacting surface thereof, said heating means having a controllable heat output.
3 more elements
An electrostatographic printer comprising:
- means for feeding a web of receiving material along a web path;
- a toner image forming device for forming a toner image, with toner having a glass transition temperature, on at least a first face of said receiving material as it is fed along said web path;
- fixing means for fixing said toner image onto said receiving material;
- cooling means positioned downstream of said fixing means to cool a contacting surface of said toner image;
- and
- at least one heated finishing element positioned downstream of said cooling means, to contact said first face of said receiving material while a contacting surface of said finishing element is at a temperature which causes the temperature of said toner image to be above said glass transition temperature to impart a modified finish to said toner image.
3 more elements
An electrostatographic printer comprising:
- means for feeding a web of receiving material along a web path;
- two toner image forming devices for forming toner images, each said forming device positioned on either side of said web path, with toner having a glass transition temperature, on both faces of said receiving material as it is fed along said web path;
- fixing means for fixing said toner images onto said receiving material;
- and
- two pairs of finishing elements positioned downstream of said fixing means, to contact said faces of said receiving material while a contacting surface of each said toner image is at a temperature above said glass transition temperature to impart a modified finish to each said toner image, said web path extending between said finishing elements of each said pair.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.