Media tacking to media transport using a media tacking belt
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsGerald M. Fletcher, Joannes N. M. de Jong, Peter J. Knausdorf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When tacking print media to a print media transport belt in a printer, a tack module having a pair of nips is employed to control charge migration in across the print media in order to tolerate lead edge curl while ensuring uniform printing. An upstream nip is formed by a first bias transfer roll and a first backup roll, and a downstream nip is formed by a second bias transfer roll and a second backup roll. The respective backup rolls are offset slightly upstream of the respective bias transfer rolls. Charge of opposite polarities is applied to the first backup roll and the second bias transfer roll to facilitate taking of the print media to the print media transport belt.
Claims24
A system for controlling charge migration across print media during printing, comprising:
- first and second backup rolls;
- first and second charging devices;
- an upstream nip formed by the first backup roll and the first charging device, which are offset relative to each other in a process direction;
- a downstream nip formed by the second backup roll and the second charging device, which are offset relative to each other in the process direction;
- a tack belt that surrounds the first backup roll and the second charging device and passes through the upstream nip and the downstream nip;
- and
- a media transport belt that passes through the downstream nip.
A tack module that facilitates tacking print media to a media transport belt in a printer, comprising:
- first and second backup rolls;
- first and second charging devices;
- wherein the first backup roll and the first charging device form an upstream nip and are offset relative to each other in a process direction;
- wherein the second backup roll and the second charging device form a downstream nip and are offset relative to each other in the process direction;
- and
- a tack belt that surrounds the first backup roll and the second charging device and passes through the upstream nip and the downstream nip.
A method for tacking print media to a media transport belt in a printer, comprising:
- applying a pressure blade to the print media to cause the print media to contact a first backup roll prior to entering an upstream nip formed by the first backup roll and a first charging device;
- applying a first charge having a first polarity to a surface of the print media in contact with a first bias transfer roll;
- applying a second charge having a second polarity to a tack belt surface that faces away from the print media;
- applying a third charge having the second polarity and a magnitude equal to that of the first charge to a second charging device;
- forcing a breakdown charge exchange to occur between a second backup roll and a print media transport belt surface that faces away from the print media;
- and
- maintaining a charge of the first polarity on the print media and a charge of the second polarity on the print media transport belt surface that faces away from the print media as the print media passes an image head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.