Rapid warm-up and cool-down pressure roll assembly and a fusing apparatus including same
US8022335B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 12, 2006 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 11, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G15/2039
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A rapid warm-up and cool-down pressure roll assembly is provided and includes (a) a rotatable pressure roll including a cylindrical sleeve having an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a hollow interior to the rotatable pressure roll; (b) a thermoelectric assembly sheet positioned within the hollow interior and having a first substrate facing the inner surface of the cylindrical sleeve, a second substrate, an electric current flow path therethrough, and electric current input and output terminals associated with the electric current flow path; and (c) an electric current input switching device connected to the electric current input and output terminals for enabling selective reversing of a direction of electric current flow through the electric current flow path, thereby reversing which of the first substrate and the second substrate of the thermoelectric assembly sheet is hot and which is cold, and therefore selectively enabling a rapid warm-up or rapid cool-down of the cylindrical sleeve of the pressure roll.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.