Sheet heater assembly having air bearing platelets
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsMichael F. Deily, Danielle R. Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air bearing sheet heater assembly is provided for heating a sheet in an ink imaging printer. It includes a heater plate that has a heating element and defines a first side of a sheet path through the heater assembly. It also includes at least one movable platelet that defines a second side of the sheet path, as well as, an air bearing assembly mounted to the at least one platelet. The air bearing assembly controllably creates an air bearing between the second side and the first side of the sheet path for moving and pneumatically spacing the front surface of the at least one movable platelet from the front side of the heater plate, thereby reducing stiction forces and friction along the sheet path through the air bearing sheet heater assembly.
Claims20
An air bearing sheet heater assembly for heating a sheet, the air bearing sheet heater assembly comprising:
- (a) a heater plate having a front side and including a heating element, said front side of said heater plate defining a first side of a sheet path through said heater assembly;
- (b) at least one movable platelet having a back surface, and an opposite front surface facing said heater plate and defining a second side of said sheet path;
- and
- (c) an air bearing assembly mounted to said at least one moveable platelet, said air bearing assembly including means creating an air bearing between said second side and said first side of said sheet path for moving and pneumatically spacing said front surface of said at least one movable platelet from said front side of said heater plate, thereby reducing stiction forces and friction along said sheet path through said sheet heater assembly.
A printer comprising:
- (a) a printer frame
- (b) a marking unit mounted to said printer frame for forming ink images on sheets;
- (c) a sheet supply assembly mounted to said printer frame including a sheet path and drive nips for contactably moving each sheet by its edges along said sheet path through said printer;
- (d) a sheet preheater assembly mounted along a portion of said sheet path, upstream of said marking unit relative to sheet movement, for heating each sheet being moved along said sheet path, the sheet preheater assembly including:
- (i) a heating device having a heating element, and a heater plate including a back side attached to said heating element and a front side defining a first side of said portion of said sheet path through the sheet preheater assembly;
- (ii) at least one movable platelet mounted above said heater plate and including a back surface, and an opposite front surface defining a second side of a portion of said sheet path through the sheet preheater assembly;
- and
- (iii) an air bearing assembly mounted to said at least one moveable platelet, said air bearing assembly including means creating an air bearing between said second side and said first side of said sheet path for moving and pneumatically spacing said front surface of said at least one movable platelet from said front side of said heater plate, thereby reducing stiction forces and friction along said sheet path through said sheet heater assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.