UV toner fusing
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDavid M. Payne, Richard L. Payne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for fusing toner to a laser printed page. The apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a laser optic system for tracing an image on the photosensitive drum, a toner supply electrically charged opposite the image traced on the photosensitive drum, and an ultraviolet light source 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.
Claims36
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- a translucent roller;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for curing an image on a print medium.
A toner fusing apparatus comprising:
- at least one translucent roller in a laser printer, the at least one translucent roller comprising an ultraviolet light source disposed therein.
A method of fusing an image to a print medium comprising the steps of:
- transferring toner from at least one photoconductive drum of a laser printer to the print medium;
- and
- separately fusing the toner to the print medium by the application of UV light to the toner.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a toner transfer system for transferring toner to a print medium;
- and
- a UV light station separate from the toner transfer system for fusing the toner to the print medium by the application of UV light to the toner.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- a print engine for forming a toner image and transferring said toner image to a print medium;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for fusing said toner image to said print medium,
- wherein said ultraviolet light source comprises an elongated filament which is disposed inside a ultraviolet-translucent roller and along a length of said ultraviolet-translucent roller.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- a print engine for forming a toner image and transferring said toner image to a print medium;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for fusing toner image to said print medium,
- wherein said ultraviolet light source comprises two separate ultraviolet light sources disposed opposite each other along a print medium transport path.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a laser print engine comprising a photoconductive drum and a laser optic system for forming a toner image on said drum with toner;
- a print medium transport system for transporting a print medium to said drum to receive said toner image;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for fusing said toner image to said print medium after said toner image is transferred to said print medium from said drum.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- a print engine for forming a toner image and transferring said toner image to a print medium;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for fusing toner image to said print medium, wherein said ultraviolet light source comprises an ultra-violet translucent roller that is at least partially covered by an ultra-violet translucent elastomer coating.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a print medium transport system;
- a print engine for forming a toner image and transferring said toner image to a print medium;
- and
- an ultraviolet light source for fusing toner image to said print medium, wherein said ultraviolet light source comprises an ultra-violet translucent lens that tapers to a narrower width toward a print medium to focus ultra-violet light on said toner image on said print medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.