Radio frequency toner fusing
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDavid M. Payne, Richard L. Payne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for fusing toner to a laser printed page. The apparatus includes a printing medium transport system and a radio frequency antenna for imparting energy to the toner to fuse the toner to the page. The apparatus facilitates faster print speeds and lower energy consumption than conventional laser printers that require heating elements to fuse the toner to the page.
Claims26
An apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- and
- a first radio frequency energy emitting antenna for fusing toner to a print medium;
- wherein the first radio frequency energy emitting antenna further comprises a wave guide, the wave guide being shaped to focus the radio frequency energy emitted from the first radio frequency energy emitting antenna onto said toner on said print medium at a specified effective nip width.
An apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- a first radio frequency energy emitting antenna for fusing toner to a print medium;
- and
- a second radio frequency antenna, the first and second antennae being arranged on opposing sides of the print medium and providing an electromagnetic field thereacross.
An apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- and
- a first radio frequency energy emitting antenna for fusing toner to a print medium;
- wherein radio frequency energy from the first radio frequency energy emitting antenna has a frequency within 20% of a natural frequency of the toner.
A method of fusing toner to a print medium comprising the step of:
- passing the print medium by a radio frequency antenna and imparting electromagnetic energy to the toner on the print medium;
- wherein the radio frequency antenna is oscillating within 1 MHz of the natural frequency of the toner.
A method of fusing toner to a print medium comprising the step of:
- passing the print medium by a radio frequency antenna and imparting electromagnetic energy to the toner on the print medium;
- wherein the radio frequency antenna is oscillating within 20% of a natural frequency of the toner.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- at least one photoconductive drum;
- at least one laser optic system for tracing an image on the at least one photoconductive drum;
- a toner supply electrically charged opposite of the image traced on the at least one photoconductive drum;
- a first radio frequency antenna for imparting electromagnetic energy to a toner;
- and
- a second radio frequency antenna, the first and second antennae being arranged on opposing sides of a print medium and providing an electromagnetic field thereacross.
A method of printing an image on a page by an electrophotographic process comprising the steps of:
- cleaning at least one organic photoconductive (OPC) drum;
- conditioning the at least one OPC drum to accept an image from a laser;
- writing a latent image on the at least one OPC drum with a laser beam;
- developing the latent image into a toner image by attracting toner to the at least one OPC drum;
- transferring the toner to the page;
- and
- fusing the toner to the page by applying pressure and radio frequency energy to the toner, wherein said fusing is performed with a pressure roller which incorporates a radio frequency antenna for emitting said radio frequency energy onto the toner.
An apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system for transporting print media bearing toner images;
- and
- a pressure roller for pressing a toner image on a print medium, said pressure roller comprising a first radio frequency energy emitting antenna for emitting radio frequency energy to fuse the toner image to the print medium;
- wherein said transport system is configured to transport print media bearing toner images past said pressure roller to fuse the toner image to the print medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.