Fusers, printing apparatuses and methods of fusing toner on media
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsSteven Donald, Christopher L. Bradley, Fred Johnson, Thomas Simpson, Robert Arnold
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fusers, printing apparatuses and methods of fusing toner on media are disclosed. An embodiment of a fuser for heating media includes a fuser roll including an outer portion having a first outer surface; a voltage source connected to the outer portion and adapted to supply voltage to the outer portion to heat the first outer surface; a pressure roll having a second outer surface; and a nip between the first and second outer surfaces. The first and second outer surfaces are adapted to contact a medium at the nip.
Claims15
A fuser for heating media, comprising:
- a fuser roll including an outer portion having a first outer surface, the outer portion being comprised of graphite or a graphite-containing material, wherein the material has an electrical resistivity of about 500 μΩ·cm to at least about 3,500 μΩ·cm, and a thermal conductivity of about 1 BTU/hr-ft-° F. to about 10 BTU/hr-ft-° F.;
- a voltage source connected to the outer portion and adapted to supply voltage to the outer portion to heat the first outer surface;
- a pressure roll having a second outer surface;
- and
- a nip between the first and second outer surfaces;
- wherein the first and second outer surfaces are adapted to contact a medium at the nip.
A fuser for heating media, comprising:
- a continuous fuser belt having an outer fusing surface and an opposite inner surface;
- a graphite or graphite-containing material including a heating surface disposed inside of the fuser belt in contact with the inner surface, wherein the material has an electrical resistivity of about 500 μΩ·cm to at least about 3,500 μΩ·cm, and a thermal conductivity of about 1 BTU/hr-ft-° F. to about 10 BTU/hr-ft-° F.;
- a voltage source connected to the material and adapted to supply voltage to the material to heat the heating surface, which heats the fuser belt;
- a pressure roll having an outer surface;
- and
- a nip between the heating surface and the outer surface;
- wherein the fusing surface and the outer surface are adapted to contact a medium at the nip.
A method of fusing toner on a medium, comprising:
- feeding a medium having toner thereon to a nip between an outer fusing surface of a fuser member and an outer surface of a pressure roll;
- applying a voltage to a graphite or graphite-containing material that forms the fusing surface or supports the fusing surface so as to heat the fusing surface, wherein the heating surface is comprised of a material having an electrical resistivity of about 500 μΩ·cm to about 3,500 μΩ·cm, and a thermal conductivity of about 1 BTU/hr-ft-° F. to about 10 BTU/hr-ft-° F.;
- and
- contacting the medium with the fusing surface and the outer surface to fuse the toner onto the medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.