Roll-fusing assembly and method for thermal compensation in an electrophotographic printer

US5070231A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Output Technology Corporation · US

Inventors

• Michael W. Bacus · Temecula, US
• Dick T. Price · Spokane, US
• Dale A. Lewis · Battle Ground, US
• Michael E. Demarchi · Palmdale, US
• Karl L. C. Homa · Chattaroy, US
• Gary McInturff · Spokane, US
• Robert Gruell · Newman Lake, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 18, 1990
• Grant date: Dec 3, 1991
• Expiry date: Oct 18, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03G15/206
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A roll-fusing assembly for printing upon continuous length print stock of substantially different widths and thicknesses includes structure for compensating for differences in thermal expansion across the pressure roller when engaging differing print stock widths. In a preferred embodiment this includes stepped pressure roller sections of reduced diameters and a contacting heat transfer roller for normalizing surface temperatures across the width of the pressure roller. The disclosed method involves normalizing surface temperatures across the pressure roller to compensate for the differences in thermal expansion that will occur about the pressure roller exterior directly exposed to the heated fusing roller when handling relatively narrow continuous length print stock or stock of differing thicknesses.