Belt drive for one or more photoconductor drums

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6418287
  • Patent Number
    6,418,287
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, March 7, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 9, 2002
    22 years ago
Abstract
A belt drive operative to rotate one or more photoconductor drums while carrying media sheets past the rotating drum or drums. For single pass color printers in which the different color planes are developed using a series of photoconductor drums, a substantially flat movable belt is positioned adjacent to and extends across each of the drums. The belt simultaneously engages each drum so that movement of the belt past the drums causes the drums to rotate together as the belt carries media sheets past the rotating drums. In one preferred version of the invention, grit applied to the ends of the drum(s) and/or to the edge of the belt is used to transfer driving force from the belt to the drums.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is directed to a system for reducing banding and color plane registration errors in an image forming device and, more particularly, to a belt drive operative to rotate one or more photoconductor drums while carrying media sheets past the rotating drum or drums.




BACKGROUND




To print in color, electronic data representing a desired print image is initially separated into four distinct color planes; one cyan, one magenta, one yellow, and one black. Single pass full color laser printers generally include a sequence of developer stations each responsible for producing one color plane image. As a sheet of paper or other suitable media passes through the first developer station, the first color plane of the separated print image is applied. The full color print image is formed as the paper passes through the other three developer stations with each of the remaining color plane images being superimposed over the first.




Each developer station includes an insulating photoconducting material usually placed on a drum and a light source such as a scanning laser. Repeatedly scanning a beam across the drum in a series of precise lines, the scanning laser creates a latent image corresponding to one color plane on the drum's surface by selectively exposing areas of the photoconductor drum to light. A difference in electrostatic charge density is created between the areas on the drum exposed and not exposed to light. The visible image is developed by electrostatic toners. The photoconductor drum may be either positively or negatively charged, and the toner system similarly may contain negatively or positively charged particles. The toners are selectively attracted to the portions of the photoconducting surface either exposed or unexposed to light, depending on the relative electrostatic charges of the photoconductor drum and the toner. A transfer roller is given an electrostatic charge opposite that of the toner and is rotated close to the photoconductor drum. The transfer roller pulls the toner from the surface of the photoconductor drum onto a sheet of paper or other print media in the pattern of the color plane image developed from the photoconducting surface. The full color image is produced as each color plane image is transferred and fused to the media sheet.




Since laser printers are designed to run very quickly, problems can arise with even slight variations in photoconductor drum speeds. Variations in photoconductor drum speed appear on the printed page as increased or decreased spacing between lines and visually appear as “bands.” Banding can be a particularly severe problem for laser printers when printing full color images such as photographs. In addition to banding, varying photoconductor drum speeds cause color plane registration errors. To produce accurate color prints, each successive color plane image must be precisely aligned and superimposed over the prior color plane. Color plane registration errors exceeding as little as about fifty microns, for example, produces a detectable degradation in print quality.




The principle cause of varying drum speeds is gear noise. Photoconductor drums are generally driven by a stepper motor or a brushless DC motor in connection with a gear array. Gear noise results from imperfect spacing of gear teeth, variances in flexing of gear teeth as forces are transferred from one gear to the next, and other intrinsic variations in gear force transfer. The stepper motor can also contribute to the problem because, as it drives the gear array in a laser printer, it may have slight variations in angular velocity due to the multiple magnet positions for each step.




Past solutions to banding and color plane registration errors include providing helical gears or gears made of better materials or with greater precision. These gears add significantly more expense to the final product. Solutions specific to correct banding include providing sensors to detect undesired variations in the photoconductor drum speed and additional circuitry directed to compensate the modulation of the laser accordingly. Solutions specific to registration errors include sensing variations in the speeds of the photoconductor drums and correspondingly adjusting the timing of the scanning lasers to correct the placement of each color plane image. Unfortunately, each of these solutions, requiring additional circuitry, sensing capabilities, and precision components and machining, substantially increase the manufacturing costs of an image forming device.




SUMMARY




The present invention is directed to a belt drive operative to rotate one or more photoconductor drums while carrying media sheets past the rotating drum or drums. For single pass color printers in which the different color planes are developed using a series of photoconductor drums, a substantially flat movable belt is positioned adjacent to and extends across each of the drums. The belt simultaneously engages each drum so that movement of the belt past the drums causes the drums to rotate together as the belt carries media sheets past the rotating drums. In one preferred version of the invention, grit applied to the ends of the drum(s) and/or to the edge of the belt is used to transfer driving force from the belt to the drums. Conventional single pass color printers that use a paper transport belt to carry paper through the developer stations can be readily adapted to use the invention. It is expected that the invention will provide a cost effective alternative to conventional methods for reducing banding and registration errors.











DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a representational side sectional view of a single pass color printer incorporating the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a schematic side sectional view of media sheet transport belt driven photoconductor drums according to one embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 3

is schematic view showing grit applied to the ends of the photoconductor drum to transfer driving force from the belt to the drum.





FIG. 4

is a schematic view showing grit applied to the sides of the transport belt to transfer driving force from the belt to the drum.





FIG. 5

is a schematic view showing grit applied to ends of the photoconductor drum and to the sides of the transport belt.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION




Although it is expected that the invention will be most useful in electrophotographic printing devices such as the single pass color laser printer illustrated in

FIG. 1

, the invention may be suitable for use in any single or multiple drum printer, copier, or other image forming device in which it is necessary of desirable to closely coordinate drum rotation.





FIG. 1

illustrates a single pass color laser printer, designated by reference number


10


. Color laser printer


10


includes a media sheet transport system that includes media tray


12


, pick roller


14


, follower rollers


16


,


18


, transport belt


20


, tensioning rollers


22


,


24


, and drive rollers


26


. Pick roller


14


picks a media sheet


30


, typically a sheet of paper, from tray


12


and advances sheet


30


toward follower rollers


16


and


18


. Sheet


30


is grabbed between follower rollers


16


,


18


and transport belt


20


and carried past developer stations


32


,


34


,


36


and


38


on upper run


20




a


of belt


20


. Drive rollers


26


or another suitable mechanism engage the lower run


20




b


of belt


20


urging belt


20


to circulate around tensioning rollers


22


,


24


.




The desired print image is applied to each sheet


30


at developer stations


32


,


34


,


36


, and


38


. Each developer station is the same except that each contains a different color toner and is responsible for transferring a different color plane image to media sheet


30


. For instance, developer station


32


contains black toner (K), developer station


34


contains yellow toner (Y), developer station


36


contains magenta toner (M), and developer station


38


contains cyan toner (C). Each developer station includes a photoconductor drum


40


, a charge roller


42


, a scanning laser


44


, a developer roller


46


and a transfer roller


47


. Each drum


40


is placed adjacent to one transfer roller


47


with transport belt


20


passing between the two. The toner supply for each developer station is maintained within a reservoir


48


.




In operation, as belt


20


carries media sheet


30


toward the black developer station


32


, charge roller


42


places a relative and uniform electrical charge on photoconductor drum


40


. Repeatedly scanning a light beam horizontally across photoconductor drum


40


in a series of precise lines, scanning laser


44


creates a latent image of the corresponding color plane, in this case black, on the surface of photoconductor drum


40


by selectively discharging portions of photoconductor drum


40


according to the black color plane image. A difference in electrostatic charge density is created between the areas on drum


40


exposed and not exposed to the beam. Each color plane image is developed by electrostatic toners. As photoconductor drum


40


rotates the charged image, it passes by developer roller


46


enabling toner to be taken up from roller


46


onto the exposed or not exposed portions of photoconductor drum


40


depending upon the relative electrostatic charges of drum


40


and the toner. Thereafter, the toner image is rotated into contact with media sheet


30


which is pressed between photoconductor drum


40


and adjacent transfer roller


47


. Transfer roller


47


is given an electrostatic charge opposite that of the toner. As media sheet


30


passes between photoconductor drum


40


and transfer roller


47


, transfer roller


47


pulls the toner onto media sheet


30


. The desired full color image is created as media sheet


30


passes through the remaining developer stations


34


,


36


,


38


, each functioning in a substantially identical manner. Once each color plane image is transferred to media sheet


30


, the toner is fused to media sheet


30


as the sheet passes between heated fusing rollers


50


, and media sheet


30


is released to output bin


52


.




Referring now to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, instead of being individually driven by a separate motor and gear array as in a conventional printer, photoconductor drums


40


are commonly rotated by transport belt


20


. Belt


20


engages each of the drums


40


simultaneously so that movement of belt


20


past drums


40


cause the drums to rotate while belt


20


carries media sheets


30


past the rotating drums. The transfer driving force from belt


20


to drums


40


is improved through grit


54


applied to one or both ends of drums


40


. Grit


54


increases friction between photoconductor drums


40


and transport belt


20


. It may be desirable in some operating environments that grit


54


extend in far enough to overlap media sheet


30


. The increased friction on sheet


30


allows photoconductor drum


40


to secure the margins of media sheet


30


against belt


20


to help prevent media sheet


30


from slipping as belt


20


carries it past drum


40


. The increased friction between photoconductor drum


40


and transport belt


20


also helps prevent photoconductor drum


40


from slipping as transport belt


20


circulates. As shown in

FIG. 3

, grit


54


is applied to contact and overlap transport belt


20


and, preferably, the margins of media sheet


30


as belt


20


carries media sheet


30


past photoconductor drum


40


.




In an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in

FIG. 4

, grit


56


is applied along one or both edges on the outer surface


58


of belt


20


. As above, grit


56


provides increased friction between photoconductor drum


40


, media sheet


30


, and transport belt


20


. Again, the size and placement of grit


56


can be selected to allow grit


56


to contact and overlap both media sheet


30


and photoconductor drum


40


as belt


20


transfers media sheet


30


past drum


40


. Grit


54


,


56


can be formed by depositing and affixing a plurality of grit particles such as sand, metal flake, rubber bits, or other suitable material to selected surface areas of photoconductor drum


40


and transport belt


20


. Alternatively, grit


54


,


56


can be formed by roughening, machine etching, grinding, or cutting those surface areas of transport belt


20


and photoconductor drums


40


. It is expected that a random distribution of grit particles applied to one or both ends of drum


40


in which the spacing between grit particles is less than ⅓ mm will be sufficient to transfer adequate driving force from belt


20


to drum


40


. A random distribution of grit particles is preferred to help prevent the engagement of the belt to the drums from creating continuous frequencies that might contribute to banding. Also, it has been observed that bandwidths ⅓ mm or less are not visible when the printed sheets are viewed from 20 inches or more. Hence, it is expected that grit particles spaced ⅓ mm or less should be sufficient to prevent banding that is visible from 20 inches or more.




Although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing exemplary embodiments, other embodiments are possible. For example, the invention could be used in a monochrome printer having only one photoconductor drum. One of the tension rollers


22


or


24


could be used to drive the belt in lieu of separate drive rollers


26


. As shown in

FIG. 5

, grit may be applied to both drum


40


and belt


20


as may be necessary or desirable to transfer adequate driving force to drum


40


. The type, size and density of the grit particles will likely vary depending on the particular printing device and environmental conditions. Other friction enhancement/driving force transfer mechanisms might also be used. The extent of the engagement between belt


20


and drums


40


, the normal force exerted at the point of engagement between belt


20


and drums


40


and other factors may influence the specific characteristics of the engagement between belt


20


and drums


40


. It is to be understood, therefore, that other forms, details, and embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined in the following claims.



Claims
  • 1. A belt drive system for multiple photoconductor drums, comprising:a series of photoconductor drums; a series of transfer rollers each adjacent to one of the photoconductor drums; a first roller disposed upstream from the first in the series of drums and a second roller disposed downstream from the last in the series of drums; an endless loop belt wrapping the first and second rollers, the belt having a generally horizontal upper run that carries media sheets and passes between and extends across the transfer rollers and the photoconductor drums, the upper run of belt simultaneously engaging each drum so that movement of the belt past the drums causes the drums to rotate as the belt carries media sheets past the rotating drums; grit particles randomly distributed along a portion of the belt that engages each drum such that the spacing between the grit particles is less than or equal to ⅓ mm.
  • 2. A single pass color printer, comprising:a series of developer stations each configured to transfer a different color plane toner image to a media sheet and each developer station having a photoconductor drum and a transfer roller adjacent to the photoconductor drums; a first roller disposed upstream from the first in the series of developer stations and a second roller disposed downstream from the last in the series of developer stations; an endless loop belt wrapping the first and second rollers, the belt having a generally horizontal upper run that carries media sheets and passes between and extends across the transfer rollers and the photoconductor drums, the upper run of belt simultaneously engaging each drum so that movement of the belt past the drums causes the drums to rotate as the belt carries media sheets past the rotating drums; grit particles randomly distributed along a portion of the belt that engages each drum such that the spacing between the grit particles is less than or equal to ⅓ mm; a media tray disposed upstream from the developer stations for holding media sheets; at least one feed roller operative to move media sheets from the media tray to the belt; and a fuser disposed downstream from the developer stations for fusing the toner images to the media sheets.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Number Name Date Kind
3976370 Goel et al. Aug 1976 A
5212532 Storlie May 1993 A
5799232 Tompkins et al. Aug 1998 A
5899603 Markovics May 1999 A
5978642 Arcaro et al. Nov 1999 A
6008826 Foote et al. Dec 1999 A
6118465 Arcaro et al. Sep 2000 A