Method and apparatus for validating fuser member behavior

Apparatus for validating an exchangeable electrostatographic fusing station heatable fuser member so as to validate that said fuser member belongs to a certain class of fuser members for imparting, to a fused toner image, a surface finish of designated quality, said fuser member validating apparatus comprising:

• a source of heat for heating said fuser member;
• a power supply for energizing said source of heat;
• means for activating said power supply to energize said source of heat, thereby causing, over the course of a time interval, increasing of said temperature of said fuser member from an ambient temperature;
• a temperature-sensing device for sensing at least one value of said temperature of said fuser member during a time interval in which said temperature of said fuser member is increasing, said temperature-sensing device generating signals corresponding to said at least one value of said temperature;
• a validation number generator wherein in response to said signals from said temperature-sensing device, a validation number is generated;
• a comparator wherein said generated validation number is compared with values included in a reference range of validation numbers, said reference range corresponding to said certain class of fuser member;
• and
• means for generating a signal if said validation number is not included in said reference range of validation numbers.

Apparatus for validating an exchangeable electrostatographic fusing station heatable fuser member so as to validates that said fuser member belongs to a certain class of fuser members for imparting, to a fused toner image, a surface finish of designated quality, said fuser member validating apparatus comprising:

• a source of heat for heating said fuser member;
• a power supply for energizing said source of heat;
• means for activating said power supply to energize said source of heat, thereby causing, over the course of a time interval, increasing of said temperature of said fuser member from an ambient temperature;
• a temperature-sensing device for sensing temperature of said fuser member;
• an auxiliary measuring device for measuring magnitude of a temperature-dependent property of said fuser member, said auxiliary measuring device generating signals corresponding to the magnitude of said temperature-dependent property of at least one magnitude of said temperature-dependent property being measured during a time interval in which said temperature of said fuser member is increasing;
• a computer for processing said signals wherein, at least once during said time interval at times corresponding to said sensing said at least one value of said temperature, respective signals are sent to said computer, said computer further including a validation member generator wherein, in response to signals from at least said auxiliary measuring device, a validation number is generated, and a comparator wherein said validation number is compared with values included in a reference range of validation numbers, said reference range corresponding to said certain class of said fuser member;
• and
• means for generating a signal if said validation number is not included in said reference range of validation numbers.