Thermally uniform sheet transport for printers
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsSteven M. Russel, Alvin D. Kromm, Jr., James J. Spence
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sheet transport system with improved sheet contacting thermal uniformity for transporting thermally sensitive imaged print media sheets in a sheet path of a printer, in which multiple sheet feeding rollers are spaced along sheet feeding path, with each said sheet feeding roller having a substantially uniform diameter extending transversely fully across the sheet feeding path for uniform sheet contact, with uniform baffles between the rollers also extending transversely fully across the sheet feeding path, for uniform sheet contact, and with vacuum sheet holddown provided by airflow slots on oppose sides of each sheet feeding roller extending transversely across the sheet feeding path.
Claims8
A sheet transport system for transporting print media sheets in a part of a printer sheet feeding path, said sheet transport system having at least a plurality of sheet feeding rollers spaced apart along said sheet feeding path, each said sheet feeding roller having a substantially uniform diameter extending transversely fully across said sheet feeding path and uniformly exposed to direct contact with said print media sheets in said printer sheet feeding path, wherein there is additionally provided in said sheet transport system a vacuum manifold underlying said plurality of sheet feeding rollers and at least one sheet transport baffle and airflow slot between each of said plurality of sheet feeding rollers, said airflow slots extending transversely across said sheet feeding path, said airflow slots pneumatically communicating with said underlying vacuum manifold to provide a vacuum force on said sheets in said sheet transport system adjacent said plurality of sheet feeding rollers via said airflow slots extending transversely across said sheet feeding path to hold said print media sheets against said sheet feeding rollers to provide substantially uniform transverse temperature control over said print media sheets being fed by said sheet transport system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.