Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7995958 | Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit fixing a toner image onto a sheet. The fixing unit includes a heating member having a sheet conveyed region that is set in accordance with the size of the sheet. The fixing unit further includes a coil generating mag... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7299002 | Heater, and image forming apparatus, heating method incorporating same A fixer (heater) includes a heat roller and a pressure roller pressing each other. The fixer heats a heated material by passing the heated material through a press region where the heat roller and the pressure roller meet. The fixer further includes an external heat... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7204587 | Inkjet printer comprising a discharge/heater roller An inkjet printer includes a print head forming an image by spraying ink from a nozzle towards a paper, a transfer unit for transferring the paper towards the print head, a discharge/heater roller being in contact with a side of the paper opposite to a side on which... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7013107 | Systems and methods for continuous motion registration distribution with anti-backlash and edge smoothing A reprographic marking device has two rolls, e.g., a pressure roll and a fuser roll, forming a nip. A drive motor moves the rolls in a continuous back and forth lateral motion to change the position of the rolls relative to a paper sheet passing through the nip.... | 03/14/2006 |
| 7003246 | Fuser nip release mechanism A nip release mechanism for a fuser of a printing device includes a movable component in the printer base frame moved by opening and closing a cover, and a follower component in the fuser which follows movement of the movable component to adjust positions of a fuser... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6904257 | Image forming device capable of changing pressing force between fixing members When fixing images onto normal sheets of paper, the pressing force between a pressing roller and a thermal roller of a fixing unit is designated by the urging force of only a first spring. On the other hand, when fixing images onto thick sheets, the pressing force i... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6591080 | Loose sleeve pressure member A pressure member is provided suitable for use in an image forming system. The pressure member includes a core surrounded by a sleeve. The inner perimeter of the sleeve is large than the outer perimeter of the core to enable the sleeve to be removed and r... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6246035 | Heating device, image forming apparatus including the device and induction heating member included in the device A heating device suitable for use as a fixing means for fixing a toner image onto a recording medium in, e.g., an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided so as to provide images free from image blurring or fixing failure while improving th... | 06/12/2001 |
| 6114041 | Fuser member with surface treated Al2 O3 and functionalized release fluids A fuser member having improved toner offset release and wear characteristics. The outermost layer comprises a fluoroelastomer with thermally conductive fillers which are surface treated with a coupling agent that is interactive with the fluoroelastomer an... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6031215 | Image heating device using induction heating for image heating In an image heating device for heating a film utilizing electromagnetic induction, a sliding member is provided between the film and a film supporting member, and the film slides relative to the sliding member. It is thereby possible to improve thermal ef... | 02/29/2000 |
| 5987295 | Image fixing apparatus and image fixing roller having a shortened warm-up time An image fixing apparatus for thermally fixing images on an image receiving material at a predetermined image fixing temperature, comprising an image fixing device comprising a core member, and an exothermic phase transition layer provided on said core me... | 11/16/1999 |
| 5842098 | Fixing apparatus and fixing method for electrophotographic apparatus In a fixing apparatus for an electrophotographic apparatus which comprises a suction apparatus (14) for attracting a rear surface of recording material (6) which continues longitudinally and holds a toner image on a major surface thereof, a preheater (10)... | 11/24/1998 |
| 5842100 | Fixing unit A fixing unit includes a heat roller accommodating a heater and a press roller movable toward and away from the heat roller. Both shaft members of the heat roller are supported by two receiving members, with a clearance provided between each shaft member ... | 11/24/1998 |
| 5355203 | Heat roll fixing unit with uniform heat distribution In a fixing device employed in an electrophotographic imaging apparatus for fusing an unfixed toner image carrier on a recording sheet, a heat roller and a back-up roller are provided. The heat roller is provided with a heater mechanism installed therein,... | 10/11/1994 |
| 5325166 | Fuser overheat control A printer for fusing images on sheets of at least three width size categories including small, medium, and large is operated by control through a microprocessor assigning -7 to full size sheets, +13 to small size sheets and +17 to envelopes. These are acc... | 06/28/1994 |
| 5321480 | Fuser having a detachable belt A fuser for fusing toner images to a receiving sheet includes a pressure roller and a fusing belt. The fusing belt has leading and trailing ends. A towing device is positioned to receive both the leading and trailing ends of the belt to form an endless be... | 06/14/1994 |
| 5305068 | Continuous paper feed prevention lock mechanism for printer A printer, for printing on continuous recording paper, includes tractors disposed in the recording paper feed path of the printer, with each of the tractors circumferentially travelling in synchronism with movement of the continuous recording paper when t... | 04/19/1994 |
| 5289248 | Fixing unit and image forming apparatus having the same A fixing unit includes a photosensitive drum for bearing an image, an image forming member for forming the image on the photosensitive drum, a transfer charger for transferring the image formed by the image forming member to paper, a heating roller having... | 02/22/1994 |
| 5189470 | Xerographic apparatus for label printer A xerographic apparatus for a label printer which receives a continuous label strip on which printing occurs. The apparatus has a photosensitive drum, a toner fixing section including rollers, a label strip conveyor located between the photosensitive drum... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5140378 | Image forming apparatus with a pressure development unit An image forming apparatus includes a pressure development unit having a pair of press rollers, an eccentric cam for regulating the pressure, and a power transmission unit for transmitting a driving force to the eccentric cam, in which the power transmiss... | 08/18/1992 |
| 5111250 | Heat-fixing device having a roller selectively loaded through an elastic element A heat-fixing device for heating a toner image on a sheet-like member includes a rotatable heating roller for heating the sheet and a rotatable pressing roller for pressing the sheet-like member against the heating roller, the longitudinal axis of one of ... | 05/05/1992 |
| 5017970 | Fixing device with movable nip region for use in copiers A fixing device for use in copiers. First and second rotatable members are in contact with each other so as to form a nip region through which a substrate is transported to fix a toner image, supported thereon, by heat and pressure. The fixing device is s... | 05/21/1991 |
| 4958195 | Method and apparatus for fusing envelopes An electrophotographic printer is disclosed wherein the fusing of a toner image to an envelope by the use of a roll fuser causes the fusing nip to open early, i.e. the fusing nip opens a predetermined and controlled time/distance before the trailing edge ... | 09/18/1990 |
| 4883941 | Filament wound foil fusing system An instant-on fuser having a cylindrical, relatively thin fiber wound cylinder supporting a resistance wire, heating foil, or printed circuit secured on the outside surface of the cylinder or embedded to the surface of the cylinder. The interior of the cy... | 11/28/1989 |
| 4873553 | Variable pressure controls of fixing device in electrophotographic copying machine A variable pressure control of fixing device, which includes a fixing roller and a compression roller in contact with each other and serves to fix a toner image on a transfer sheet by passing this sheet between these rollers, comprises a coil spring havin... | 10/10/1989 |
| 4806969 | Fixing device A fixing device wherein a toner image on a paper sheet passing either of two paper paths can be fixed by means of a single heat roll. The fixing device comprises a single heat roll, a pair of pressure rolls for contacting under pressure with the heat roll... | 02/21/1989 |
| 4719489 | Recording apparatus having material feed mode dependent fixing control A recording apparatus includes a fixing device for fixing an image to be recorded, on a recording material selectively under a first fixing condition or a second fixing condition; a feeder for feeding the recording material to said fixing means selectivel... | 01/12/1988 |
| 4716435 | Heat and pressure roll fuser and roll engaging mechanism therefor Mechanism for effecting pressure engagement between two roll fuser members used for fusing toner images to copy substrates. The mechanism is characterized by simplicity of design and serviceability. To this end, one of two roll fuser members is supported ... | 12/29/1987 |
| 4498757 | Demountable, modular toner-fuser assembly for electrographic print apparatus A modular, demountable toner fuser assembly for electrographic printing/copying apparatus wherein oppositely disposed adjustable tensioning members are coupled to a dead center linkage such that a pair of confronting pressure rollers operably associated w... | 02/12/1985 |
| 4473290 | Toner image fixing device A toner image fixing device for fixing a toner image carried on a support material onto the support material through heat fusing includes a fixing roller provided with a heating element and a pressure roller arranged to contact, under pressure, the fixing... | 09/25/1984 |
| 4429987 | Early fuser roll closure with reduced force An early roll closure method and apparatus associated with an electrophotographic or xerographic device for fixing a toner image onto a copy sheet by application of heat and pressure. A lower closing force is exerted on the fuser rollers during early roll... | 02/07/1984 |
| 4392739 | Electromechanically operated fuser roll closure A fuser roll apparatus in a toner fixing station associated with an electrophotographic or xerographic device for fixing a toner image onto a copy sheet by the application of heat and pressure. The fusing apparatus includes a pair of fuser rollers and a l... | 07/12/1983 |
| 4363549 | Electromechanically operated fuser roll closure A fuser roll apparatus in a toner fixing station associated with an electrophotographic or xerographic device for fixing a toner image onto a copy sheet by the application of heat and pressure. The fusing apparatus includes a pair of fuser rollers and a l... | 12/14/1982 |
| 4341458 | Thermal pressure fixing device Disclosed is a thermal pressure fixing device for a copier, comprising a pressure roll and a fixing roll for heating and pressing an image-receiving material carrying a toner image, whereby during the passage of the image-receiving material between the ro... | 07/27/1982 |
| 4248520 | Electrophotographic copying apparatus with improved fixing arrangement An electrophotographic copying apparatus or copier equipped with an improved fixing arrangement for electrostatically transferring original images onto a copy paper continuously fed from a roll. A heat source including reflectors and a cooling system prov... | 02/03/1981 |
| 4232959 | Toner image fusing apparatus Apparatus for fusing a toner image carried by a support. The apparatus includes first and second members, at least one of which is heated, which are supported in variable pressure engagement to fuse a toner image carried by a support passed between the me... | 11/11/1980 |
| 4162847 | Hot roll fuser early closure inhibitor A heated fuser roller and backup roller fix toner on a sheet passing therebetween. These rollers are separated during nontoner fixing periods and normally closed for a predetermined early closure period prior to arrival of a sheet at the nip between the r... | 07/31/1979 |
| 3973844 | Latching mechanism for the backup roll of a roll fuser employed in a copier apparatus Mechanism for latching a backup roll into engagement with a heated fuser roll structure. The mechanism is characterized by a four pivot linkage including a first fixed pivot supporting the backup roll for movement. The linkage is so arranged as to require... | 08/10/1976 |
| 3945726 | Electrophotographic fixing device An electrophotographic fixing device which is fundamentally constructed by assembling a heat fusing roller made of a resilient material, a rigid press-contacting roller, and a heating roller, wherein the heat fusing roller is provided at a position to con... | 03/23/1976 |
