This invention is related to electrostatographic printing machines, and more particularly, to an electrostatographic machine wherein toner images are deposited on an intermediate belt and transferred to various substrate media and a belt installation tool for positioning the intermediate belt within the printing machine.
Electrostatographic printers are known in which a single color toner image is electrostatically formed on a charge retentive member, such as, a photoreceptor drum or belt. The toner image is directly transferred to a receiving substrate, typically paper or other suitable print receiving material. The toner image is subsequently fused or affixed to the substrate, usually by simultaneous application of heat and pressure.
In other electrostatographic color printers, a plurality of toner imaging systems each including a charge retentive member are used to create multiple color toner images on a single image receiving member. The color toner images are electrostatically transferred from the charge retentive members to an intermediate transfer member to form a composite toner image on the intermediate transfer member. The composite toner image is electrostatically transferred to the final substrate.
In these electrostatic marking systems, a photoreceptor belt or drum surface is generally arranged to move in an endless path through the various processing stations of the xerographic process. In this endless path, several xerographic-related stations traversed by the photoconductive belt or drum, becomes worn and in several of these stations various belt configurations in addition to photosensitive belts are uses, such as, transfer belts, pre-fuser transport belts, intermediate belts and the like. Each of these belts is exposed to friction and moved by rollers that provide the belt movement to accomplish the belt purpose. After a while, the belts need to be replaced. Since the photoreceptor surface is reusable when the toner image is transferred to a final support material, such as paper, the surface of the photoreceptor is constantly braided and cleaned by a blade and/or brushes and prepared to be used once again in the marking process.
Image-carrying belts used in color printing processes can be especially difficult to replace and install. In some machines, the horizontal intermediate transfer belt is about 1400 mm wide (beyond the average person's arm span) and 3000 mm long. Belt installation requires careful alignment with the belt module to prevent belt damage. At even longer belt lengths, the replacement operation is extremely difficult to install a belt without belt damage occurring. This difficulty is especially exacerbated if only one person is available to perform the task.
Even in monochrome marking systems that use shorter belts for various functions, extreme care must be taken not to damage the belts during installation. In some instances, the belts are constructed of thin flexible polymeric materials that can easily scratch or be damaged during belt replacement or even during original installation.
Belt installation improvements aimed at solving this problem include U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/895,864 and 11/895,863, both filed Aug. 28, 2007 by Bruce J. Parks, where hinged guides are disclosed that protrude from the front of the machine from the housing at two or more roller positions providing a pre-staging area for the belt in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/895,864. The belt would then be draped in a position close to the actual belt housing but without the clearance issues. The belt would then be manually tensioned as it is slid over the belt module. After installation, the guides would be removed or pivoted back into their inactive positions. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/895,863 belt guides are disclosed that fit into housings in hollow rollers or housings adjacent rollers of belt modules of products that have long transfer belts. These disclosures are included herein by reference to the extent necessary to practice the present disclosure.
Even with the belt installations improvements mentioned heretofore, there is still a need for a quick and easy way to install extremely long and wide belts onto marking modules of printing machines.
Accordingly, disclosed herein is a device to aid in installation of long and wide intermediate belts used in intermediate belt transfer (IBT) marking modules. The device includes a tool that comprises a lightweight folding frame, with rollers at belt tangent points, that manually expands into the shape of the intermediate belt transfer module profile. The frame can be temporarily attached to the module and hold the belt in a shape and orientation that allows it to be easily slid from the frame onto the module.
Various of the above-mentioned and further features and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the specific apparatus and its operation or methods described in the example(s) below, and the claims. Thus, they will be better understood from this description of these specific embodiment(s), including the drawing figures (which are approximately to scale) wherein:
For a general understanding of the features of the disclosure, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been used throughout to identify identical elements.
In
In
In
As shown in
In practice, an intermediate transfer belt is replaced by first attaching the lightweight folding frame, in a conventional manner, by member 75 to the IBT module 30 while standing the frame in a vertical position as shown in
It should now be understood that a belt installation tool is disclosed that aids in the installation of long and wide intermediate belts used in IBT marking modules. The tool consists of a lightweight folding frame, with rollers at belt tangent points, that is expanded by rotation of a handle into the shape of the IBT marking module. The frame is temporarily attached to the IBT marking module and holds the intermediate belt in a shape and orientation that allows it to be easily slid from the frame onto the marking module. Afterwards, the frame can be stored within the marking module. The installation tool can be adapted to install belts of any configuration including, but not limited to, photosensitive belts, transfer belts, pre-fuser transport belts, or intermediate belts and the like.
The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others. Unless specifically recited in a claim, steps or components of claims should not be implied or imported from the specification or any other claims as to any particular order, number, position, size, shape, angle, color, or material.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5400121 | Foote | Mar 1995 | A |
20030152400 | Maier et al. | Aug 2003 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2001337577 | Dec 2001 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20090110435 A1 | Apr 2009 | US |