摘要:
A belt drive module and a corresponding method includes or employs a belt (10) that moves along a path, at least one support roller (12) or other structure that supports the belt as it moves along the path, a drive roller (11) that effects movement of the belt along the path, a tension roller (74) that applies a tension force to the belt in order to maintain engagement of the belt with the drive and/or support rollers, at least one processing station (e.g., an image processing station) disposed along the path that performs a process relative to a predetermined position of the belt, and a torque assist drive that applies a torque assist force (T d ) at a location between the drive roller and the tension roller. Torque assist may be provided by a current limited DC motor or by a constant torque friction clutch applied to a roller (66), e.g., a stripper roller of an electrophotographic imaging system. Advantageously, the torque assist force (T d ) facilitates accurate positioning of the belt (e.g., latent image registrations in a color imaging process employing multiple imaging processing stations) by reducing slippage between the drive roller and the belt that may be encountered due to belt wear, toner contamination and/or other debris.
摘要:
Convenient placement of media supply trays (42, 44, 46, 48) in a printing apparatus (10) is provided by placing the media supply trays (42, 44, 46, 48) in the printer enclosure (11) at an elevation above the elevation of the print engine (12). In particular, the imaging station (16) of the print engine is placed at a lower elevation within the printer enclosure than are the media feed heads (52, 54, 56, 58) for each media supply tray (42, 44, 46, 48). In addition, a substrate heater (66) is positioned along the media path between the media feed heads (52, 54, 56, 58) and the imaging station (16) when the print engine (12) is a phase change ink jet printhead.
摘要:
A sensor having a shutter (40) mounted upon a shaft (48) for rotation within a housing (36) in opposition to a light path between an LED (42) and photodetector (44). A portion of the shaft (48) extends outside the housing connected to an elongated arm (28). A runner (52), secured to the elongated arm (28), engages a moving photosensitive surface (12) and deviations of the edge position of the photosensitive surface rotate the shutter (40) in relation to the light path between the LED (42) and photodetector (44), for tracking the edge position of the moving photosensitive surface (12) by providing signals representing shutter position.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for transverse registration of image exposures on photoreceptive belts (12) subject to lateral deviation from linear travel in which targets (T₁, T₂, T₃), corresponding in location to the image areas (l₁, l₂, l₃) to be exposed, are used for the detection of lateral belt displacement and to control the transverse location of exposure scan. The targets are of a pattern defining a reference line and a line inclined with respect to the direction (18) of belt travel so that the duration of time between passage of the target lines with respect to a spacially fixed sensing axis in a sensor (36) will vary with lateral displacement of the belt. The targets may assume a variety of specific patterns and the invention is applicable to single and multi-pass image exposure systems as well as to both modulated laser and light emitting diode types of exposure devices.
摘要:
An electrophotographic device of the type including a flexible belt charge retentive member (10), driven along an endless path through a series of processing stations that create a latent image on the charge retentive surface, develop the image with toner, and bring a sheet of paper or other transfer member into intimate contact with the charge retentive surface at a transfer station (D) for electrostatic transfer of toner from the charge retentive surface to the sheet. For the enhancement of toner release from a surface at any of the processing stations, a resonator (152) suitable for generating vibratory energy is arranged in line contact with the back side of the charge retentive surface (10), to uniformly apply vibratory energy to the charge retentive member. The resonator comprises a horn (156), a continuous support member (154), and a continuous vibration producing member (150) that drives the horn at a resonant frequency to apply vibratory energy to the belt. The horn includes a platform or base portion (156), a horn portion (158) extending therefrom, and having a contacting tip (159). The horn is segmented, through the contacting tip to the platform portion, into a plurality of elements which each act more or less individually. In alternative embodiments, the vibration producing member that drives the horn, and/or the support member may also be segmented in a corresponding manner.
摘要:
For the enhancement of toner release from an imaging surface on a flexible belt member (10) in an electrophotographic device, a resonator (100, 200) suitable for generating vibratory energy is arranged in line contact with the back side of the belt member, to uniformly apply vibratory energy to the member. The resonator includes a horn (152) divided into a linear array of segments and, in one embodiment, an array of vibration producing elements (150a), each coupled to at least one horn segment, and driven with a voltage to produce a high frequency vibratory response. To avoid the problem of variations in response that occurs due to varying resonant frequencies of each horn element, the vibration producing elements are driven across a range of frequencies that includes each resonant frequency required, over a relatively short period of time.
摘要:
For the enhancement of toner release from an imaging surface on a flexible belt member (10) in an electrophotographic device a resonator suitable for generating vibratory energy is arranged in line contact with the back side of the belt member, to uniformly apply vibratory energy to the member. The resonator includes a horn (152) divided into a linear array of segments (158b), and an array of vibration producing elements (150a), each coupled to at least one horn segment, and driven with a voltage to produce a high frequency vibratory response. To avoid the problem of roll-off in response that occurs at the outer segments of the array of horn segments, the vibration producing elements coupled to the outer horn segments are driven with a higher voltage than those coupled to horn segments in the central portion of the array.