Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6512913
-
Patent Number
6,512,913
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, March 28, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, January 28, 200322 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 399 330
- 399 333
- 399 328
- 219 216
- 219 469
- 118 60
- 430 99
- 430 124
- 347 156
- 492 46
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium. The fusing system includes a fuser roller including an elastomeric layer and a heat transport layer disposed around the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer having high thermal capacity, and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller. The present disclosure also relates to a fusing method that helps reduce gloss variation of printed media fused to a recording medium with a fusing system. The method includes the steps of forming a heat transport layer having high thermal capacity at an outer surface of a fuser roller of the fusing system, heating the heat transport layer, and transferring heat from the heat transport layer to the recording medium as it passes through a nip of the fusing system.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a fusing system including a heat storage mechanism. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a fusing system including a fuser roller that includes a heat transport layer having high thermal capacity.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrophotographic printing and copying devices typically are provided with fusing systems that serve to thermally fuse a toner image onto a recording medium, such as a sheet of paper. Such fusing systems normally comprise a heated fuser roller and a heated pressure roller that presses against the fuser roller to form a nip in which the fusing occurs.
FIG. 1
illustrates a simplified end view of a typical prior art fusing system
100
. As indicated in
FIG. 1
, the fusing system
100
generally comprises a fuser roller
102
, a pressure roller
104
, internal heating elements
106
, and a temperature sensor
108
. The fuser and pressure rollers
102
and
104
comprise hollow tubes
110
and
112
that are coated with outer layers
114
and
116
of elastomeric material.
The internal heating elements
106
typically comprise halogen lamps that uniformly irradiate the inner surfaces of the rollers
102
and
104
. Through this irradiation, the inner surfaces are heated and this heat diffuses to the outer surfaces of the fuser and pressure rollers
102
and
104
until they reach a temperature sufficient to melt the toner (e.g., approximately between 160° C. to 190° C.). The fuser roller and the pressure rollers
102
and
104
rotate in opposite directions and are urged together so as to form a nip
118
that compresses the outer layers
114
and
116
of the rollers together. The compression of these layers increases the width of the nip
118
, which increases the time that the recording medium resides in the nip. The longer the dwell time in the nip
118
, the larger the total energy that the toner and recording medium can absorb to melt the toner. Within the nip
118
, the toner is melted and fused to the medium by the pressure exerted on it by the two rollers
102
and
104
. After the toner has been fused, the recording medium is typically forwarded to a discharge roller (not shown) that conveys the medium to a discharge tray.
The outer layers
114
and
116
are normally constructed of rubber materials (e.g., silicon rubber) that have high thermal resistance and low thermal capacity. These characteristics can be explained with the thermal model
200
shown in FIG.
2
. The thermal model
200
represents the thermal characteristics of the fuser roller
102
shown in
FIG. 1
as a recording medium (e.g., sheet of paper) passes through the nip
118
. As indicated in
FIG. 2
, the model
200
comprises a circuit that includes a thermal energy source
202
representative of the internal heating element
106
. The energy source
202
delivers a constant amount of energy to a thermal capacitor C
1
that is representative of the hollow tube
110
of the fuser roller
102
. The energy provided by the energy source
202
must overcome the thermal resistance provided by the resistor R
1
, which represents the outer layer
114
. Due to the large thermal resistance of the materials used to construct the outer layer
114
, the resistance provided by R
1
is very large. In addition, the energy from the source
202
must overcome the thermal resistance of the resistor R
2
, which represents heat loss due to convection. This energy also reaches a second thermal capacitor C
2
representative of the thermal capacitance of the outer layer
110
. Due to the low thermal capacity of materials used to construct the outer layer
114
, the thermal capacitance of C
2
is very small. Finally, the energy encounters the thermal resistance of resistor RL, which represents the thermal load of the recording medium that passes through the nip
118
. Heat generated by the passage of the energy through the resistor RL is represented by “+” and “−” in FIG.
2
.
As will be appreciated by persons having ordinary skill in the art, the large resistance of the resistor R
1
poses an impediment to the transfer of energy from the interior of the fuser roller
102
to the fuser roller outer surface of the outer layer
114
. This impediment creates the heat transport delay which is the primary cause of delay in the warming of the fusing system
100
. In addition, the small thermal capacity of capacitor C
2
means that the outer layer
114
can store little energy. Because of this fact, the energy stored within the outer layer
114
is quickly dissipated as recording media are passed through the nip
118
.
In addition to increasing the warm-up time of the fusing system
100
, use of conventional fusing systems such as that shown in
FIG. 1
can also result in gloss variation along the length of the recording media. As is known in the art, gloss variation relates to the phenomenon in which the gloss of the fused toner changes over the length of the recording medium. This variation is due to the fact that the fuser roller
102
typically has a circumference which is smaller than the length of the recording medium. Therefore, the fuser roller
102
will normally pass through several revolutions as the recording medium passes through the nip
118
. Due to the transfer of heat to the medium through each revolution and to the fact that the outer layer
114
cannot store large amounts of thermal energy, the temperature of the outer surface of the fuser roller
102
can drop significantly from the leading edge of the medium to its trailing edge. This can result in the printed recording medium having a first section adjacent its leading edge in which the printed media is highly glossy, a second section at its middle where the printed media has a less glossy finish, and a third section adjacent its trailing edge in which the printed media has a non-glossy (i.e., matte) finish.
Gloss variation is undesirable for several reasons. First, printed materials having gloss variation are unaesthetic in that the printed media have an inconsistent appearance. This is particularly true in the case of color printing or photocopying in that the glossy portions of the printed media will appear more vibrant than less glossy portions. Second, a glossy finish normally indicates better fusing to the recording medium. With good fusing, there will be better adhesion between the toner and the recording medium and therefore less chance of the toner flaking off of the recording medium.
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a fusing system that avoids one or more of the disadvantages described above associated with conventional fusing systems such as gloss variation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium. The fusing system comprises a fuser roller including an elastomeric layer and a heat transport layer disposed around the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer having high thermal capacity, and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller.
The present disclosure also relates to a fusing method that helps reduce gloss variation of printed media fused to a recording medium with a fusing system. The method comprises the steps of forming a heat transport layer having high thermal capacity at an outer surface of a fuser roller of the fusing system, heating the heat transport layer, and transferring heat from the heat transport layer to the recording medium as it passes through a nip of the fusing system.
The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 1
is a simplified end view of a prior art fusing system.
FIG. 2
is a thermal model of the fusing system shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is a schematic side view of an electrophotographic imaging device incorporating a first fusing system.
FIG. 4
is a simplified end view of the fusing system shown in FIG.
3
.
FIG. 5
is a partial perspective view of a fuser roller of the fusing system shown in FIG.
4
.
FIG. 6
is a thermal model of the fusing system shown in FIG.
4
.
FIG. 7
is a simplified end view of a second fusing system.
FIG. 8
is a simplified end view of a third fusing system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,
FIG. 3
illustrates a schematic side view of an electrophotographic imaging device
300
that incorporates a first fusing system
302
. By way of example, the device
300
comprises a laser printer. It is to be understood, however, that the device
300
can, alternatively, comprise any other such imaging device that uses a fusing system including, for instance, a photocopier or a facsimile machine.
As indicated in
FIG. 3
, the device
300
includes a charge roller
304
that is used to charge the surface of a photoconductor drum
306
, to a predetermined voltage. A laser diode (not shown) is provided within a laser scanner
308
that emits a laser beam
310
which is pulsed on and off as it is swept across the surface of the photoconductor drum
306
to selectively discharge the surface of the photoconductor drum. In the orientation shown in
FIG. 3
, the photoconductor drum
306
rotates in the counterclockwise direction. A developing roller
312
is used to develop a latent electrostatic image residing on the surface of photoconductor drum
306
after the surface voltage of the photoconductor drum has been selectively discharged. Toner
314
is stored in a toner reservoir
316
of an electrophotographic print cartridge
318
. The developing roller
312
includes an internal magnet (not shown) that magnetically attracts the toner
314
from the print cartridge
318
to the surface of the developing roller. As the developing roller
312
rotates (clockwise in FIG.
3
), the toner
314
is attracted to the surface of the developing roller
312
and is then transferred across the gap between the surface of the photoconductor drum
306
and the surface of the developing roller to develop the latent electrostatic image.
Recording media
320
, for instance sheets of paper, are loaded from an input tray
322
by a pickup roller
324
into a conveyance path of the device
300
. Each recording medium
320
is individually drawn through the device
300
along the conveyance path by drive rollers
326
such that the leading edge of each recording medium is synchronized with the rotation of the region on the surface of the photoconductor drum
306
that comprises the latent electrostatic image. As the photoconductor drum
306
rotates, the toner adhered to the discharged areas of the drum contacts the recording medium
320
, which has been charged by a transfer roller
328
, such that the medium attracts the toner particles away from the surface of the photoconductor drum and onto the surface of the medium. Typically, the transfer of toner particles from the surface of the photoconductor drum
306
to the surface of the recording medium
320
is not completely efficient. Therefore, some toner particles remain on the surface of the photoconductor drum. As the photoconductor drum
306
continues to rotate, the toner particles that remain adhered to the drum's surface are removed by a cleaning blade
330
and deposited in a toner waste hopper
332
.
As the recording medium
320
moves along the conveyance path past the photoconductor drum
306
, a conveyer
334
delivers the recording medium to the fuser system
302
. The recording media
320
passes between a fuser roller
336
and a pressure roller
338
of the fusing system
302
that are described in greater detail below. As the pressure roller
338
rotates, the fuser roller
336
is rotated and the recording medium
320
is pulled between the rollers. The heat applied to the recording medium
320
by the fusing system
302
fuses the toner to the surface of the recording medium. Finally, output rollers
340
draw the recording medium
320
out of the fusing system
302
and delivers it to an output tray
342
.
As identified in
FIG. 3
, the device
300
can further include a formatter
344
and a controller
346
. The formatter
344
receives print data, such as a display list, vector graphics, or raster print data, from a print driver operating in conjunction with an application program of a separate host computing device
348
. The formatter
344
converts the print data into a stream of binary print data and sends it to the controller
346
. In addition, the formatter
344
and the controller
346
exchange data necessary for controlling the electrophotographic imaging process. In particular, the- controller
346
supplies the stream of binary print data to the laser scanner
308
. The binary print data stream sent to the laser diode within the laser scanner
308
pulses the laser diode to create the latent electrostatic image on the photoconductor drum
306
.
In addition to providing the binary print data stream to the laser scanner
308
, the controller
346
controls a high voltage power supply (not shown) that supplies voltages and currents to the components used in the device
300
including the charge roller
304
, the developing roller
312
, and the transfer roller
328
. The controller
346
further controls a drive motor (not shown) that drives the printer gear train (not shown) as well as the various clutches and feed rollers (not shown) necessary to move recording media
320
through the conveyance path of the device
300
.
A power control circuit
350
controls the application of power to the fusing system
302
. In a preferred arrangement, the power control circuit
350
is configured in the manner described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,789,723 and 6,018,151, which are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure, such that the power to the fusing system
302
is linearly controlled and the power levels can be smoothly ramped up and down as needed. Such operation provides for better control over the amount of heat generated by the fusing system
302
. While the device
300
is waiting to begin processing a print or copying job, the temperature of the fuser roller
336
is kept at a standby temperature corresponding to a standby mode.
In the standby mode, power is supplied at a reduced level to the fuser roller
336
by the power control circuit
350
to reduce power consumption, lower the temperature, and reduce the degradation resulting from continued exposure to the components of the fusing system
302
to the fusing temperatures. The standby temperature of the fuser roller
336
is selected to balance a reduction in component degradation against the time required to heat the fuser roller from the standby temperature to the fusing temperature. From the standby temperature, the fuser roller
336
can be quickly heated to the temperature necessary to fuse toner to the recording media
320
. When processing of a fusing job begins, the controller
346
, sufficiently ahead of the arrival of a recording medium
320
at the fusing system
302
, increases the power supplied by the power control circuit
350
to the fusing system to bring its temperature up to the fusing temperature. After completion of the fusing job, the controller
346
sets the power control circuit
350
to reduce the power supplied to the fusing system
302
to a level corresponding to the standby mode. The cycling of the power supplied to fusing system
302
is ongoing during the operation of device as fusing jobs are received and processed and while the device is idle.
FIG. 4
illustrates a simplified end view of the fusing system
302
shown in FIG.
3
. As indicated in
FIG. 4
, the fusing system
302
generally comprises the fuser roller
336
and the pressure roller
338
that together form a nip
400
therebetween. The fuser roller
336
and pressure roller
338
typically are formed as hollow tubes
404
and
406
. By way of example, each of these tubes
404
and
406
is composed of a metal such as aluminum or steel and has a diameter of approximately 45 millimeters (mm). By further way of example, each tube
404
and
406
has a thickness of approximately 2.5 mm. Each roller
336
and
338
is provided with an elastomeric layer
408
and
410
that is composed of an elastomeric material such as silicon rubber or a flexible thermoplastic. By way of example, the elastomeric layers
408
and
410
are approximately 2 to 5 millimeters (mm) thick.
Inside each of the fuser and pressure rollers
336
and
338
is an internal heating element
412
and
414
. By way of example, the internal heating elements
412
and
414
comprise tungsten filament halogen lamps or nichrome heating elements. Normally, the heating elements
412
and
414
are at least as long as the rollers
336
and
338
such that the elements can be fixedly mounted in place. When formed as tungsten filament halogen lamps, the internal heating elements
412
and
414
can have power ratings of, for example, approximately 600 watts (W) and 100 W, respectively. It is to be noted that, although an internal heating element
414
is shown and described, the pressure roller
338
could, alternatively, be configured without its own heat source. Preferably, however, such a heat source is provided to avoid the accumulation of toner on the pressure roller
338
during use.
As identified above, the thermal capacity of the roller elastomeric layers
408
and
410
is normally low which can result in gloss variation on the recording media. To avoid this problem, the fuser roller
336
is provided with a heat transport layer
416
that is composed of a material having a large thermal capacity. This layer
416
is shown best in FIG.
5
. Typically, the heat transport layer
416
is constructed of a metal such as aluminum, copper, nickel, or steel. By way of example, the heat transport layer
416
can have a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. In one embodiment, the heat transport layer
416
comprises a foil that is wrapped around the elastomeric layer
408
. In another embodiment, the transport layer
416
is electrolessly plated to the outer surface of the elastomeric layer
408
. In a further embodiment, the heat transport layer
416
is a metal oxide that is powder coated to and cured on the elastomeric layer
408
. Irrespective of its configuration, however, the presence of the thermal transport layer
416
greatly increases the thermal capacity at the outer surface of the fuser roller
336
. To prevent toner from adhering to the heat transport layer
416
, a layer
418
of TEFLON™ (
FIG. 5
) can be applied to the fuser roller
336
. By way of example, the TEFLON™ can comprise a thin film that is heat shrunk onto the heat transport layer
416
. Similarly, a layer of TEFLON™ can be applied to the elastomeric layer
410
of the pressure roller
338
. These layers of TEFLON™ can, for instance, have a thickness of approximately 1.5 to 2 mils. In an alternative arrangement, the layer
418
can comprise a thin layer of polyimide (e.g., 1 mil thick) covered by a thin layer of TEFLON™ (e.g., 0.5 mil thick).
With reference back to
FIG. 4
, the fusing system
302
further includes a temperature sensor
420
. The temperature sensor
420
can comprise a thermistor that is placed in close proximity to or in contact with the fuser rollers. Alternatively, the sensor
420
can comprise a non-contact thermopile (not shown), if desired. Although a non-contact thermopile is preferable from the standpoint of reliability, such thermopiles are more expensive and therefore increase the cost of the device
300
.
In operation, power is supplied to the heating elements
412
and
414
, by the control circuit
350
(
FIG. 3
) so as to heat both of the hollow tubes
404
and
406
, with radiated heat. As identified above, heating of the pressure roller
338
is optional in that enough heat may be provided by the internal heating element
412
alone. Relatively moderate heating of the pressure roller
338
is deemed preferable however to avoid the accumulation of toner on the outer layer
410
of the pressure roller. By way of example, power is supplied to the heating elements
412
and
414
, such that the fuser and pressure rollers
336
and
338
are maintained at set point temperatures of approximately 185° C. to 195° C.
Due to the provision of the heat transfer layer
416
, the fuser roller outer layer
408
can store more thermal energy. This fact is illustrated by the thermal model
600
shown in FIG.
6
. This thermal model
600
represents the fuser roller
336
shown in
FIG. 4
as a recording medium (e.g., sheet of paper) passes through the nip
400
. As indicated in
FIG. 6
, the model
600
, like model
200
, comprises a circuit that includes a thermal energy source
602
representing the internal heating element
412
, a thermal capacitor C
1
representing the thermal capacitance of the hollow tube
404
, a resistor R
1
representing the elastomeric layer
408
, a resistor R
2
representing heat loss due to convection, a second thermal capacitor C
2
representing the thermal capacitance of the elastomeric layer, and a resistor RL that represents the thermal load of the recording medium that passes through the nip. Notably, the TEFLON™ layer
418
(
FIG. 5
) is not represented in that its effect on the thermal characteristics of the fuser roller
336
is negligible with its dimensions recited above. In the model
600
shown in
FIG. 6
, however, the circuit further includes a third thermal capacitor CS representing the thermal capacitance (“storage”) of the heat transport layer
416
. Unlike C
2
, CS is very large, for instance several orders of magnitude greater than C
2
. Therefore, a much larger amount of heat energy can be maintained at the outer surface of the fuser roller
336
. Accordingly, the fuser roller
336
can transfer more heat energy to the recording media passing through the nip
400
to reduce gloss variation of the printed media fused thereto.
As discussed above, the elastomeric material used to form the elastomeric layers of the fuser and pressure rollers in most fusing systems also has low thermal conductivity. Therefore, even though a fuser roller includes a heat transport layer having high thermal capacity, re-heating of the heat transport layer can be delayed due to the elastomeric material's low thermal conductivity. Therefore, the most advantageous results occur where the fusing system includes a fuser roller having an outer heat transport layer, as well as a heat source external to the fuser roller such that the heat transport layer can be directly heated.
FIGS. 7 and 8
illustrate two example arrangements in which the heat transport layer is externally heated in this manner.
With reference first to
FIG. 7
, illustrated is a second fusing system
700
. As indicated in this figure, the fusing system
700
is similar in construction to that shown in FIG.
4
. Therefore, the fusing system
700
includes a fuser roller
702
including a
703
, an elastomeric layer
706
, and a heat transport layer
708
. The fusing system
700
further includes a pressure roller
704
that includes a hollow tube
71
0
, elastomeric layer
714
, and an internal heating element
716
. In addition, provided is a temperature sensor
717
. However, in the embodiment shown in
FIG. 7
, the fuser roller
702
is not internally heated but is instead externally heated with an external induction heating element
718
.
The external induction heating element
718
is positioned in close proximity to the fuser roller
702
and, by way of example, is placed at the ten o'clock position. Although this positioning is shown and described, persons having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that alternative placement is feasible. The external induction heating element
718
generally comprises a pole member
720
that includes a central pole
722
and opposed flux concentrators
724
. As is apparent in
FIG. 7
, the central pole
722
and the flux concentrators
724
together form a concave surface
726
that preferably has a radius of curvature that closely approximates the radius of the fuser roller
702
such that a very small gap, e.g. between approximately 1 mm and 2 mm in width, is formed between the external induction heating element
718
and the fuser roller. The external induction heating element
718
further includes a coil
728
that is wrapped around the central pole
722
. The coil
728
comprises a plurality of turns of a continuous conductive wire
730
. In a preferred arrangement, the wire
730
comprises a copper Litz wire.
During operation of the fusing system
700
, high frequency, e.g. approximately 10 kHz to 100 Hz, current is delivered by the power control circuit
350
(
FIG. 3
) to the coil
728
. As the current flows through the coil
728
, high frequency magnetic fluxes are generated in the central pole
722
of the pole member
720
. Due to the arrangement of the external induction heating element
718
and the fuser roller
702
, the magnetic fluxes are focused upon the fuser roller and, therefore, upon the metal heat transport layer
708
of the fuser roller. The magnetic fluxes travel inside the heat transport layer
708
and cause it to produce induced eddy currents that generate heat, thereby heating the fuser roller
702
.
With reference now to
FIG. 8
, illustrated is a third fusing system
800
. As indicated in this figure, the fusing system
800
again is similar in construction to that shown in FIG.
4
. Therefore, the fusing system
800
includes a fuser roller
802
including a hollow tube
803
, an elastomeric layer
806
, a heat transport layer
808
, and an internal heating element
810
. In addition, the pressure roller
804
comprises a hollow tube
812
, an elastomeric layer
814
, and an internal heating element
816
. However, in the embodiment of
FIG. 8
, the fuser roller
802
is not only internally heated but is also externally heated with an external heating roller
822
.
As indicated in
FIG. 8
, the external heating roller
822
comprises a hollow tube
824
. The hollow tube
824
typically is composed of a metal such as aluminum or steel. To avoid a substantial increase in the height dimension of the fusing system
800
, the tube
824
preferably has a relatively small diameter, e.g. approximately 1 in. In addition, the external heating roller
822
is preferably arranged at approximately the ten o'clock position relative to the fuser roller
802
. Although such positioning of the external heating roller
822
is shown and described, persons having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that alternative placement is feasible. The tube
824
can be much thinner than the tubes
804
and
812
in that the external heating roller
822
is not compressed to form a nip. By way of example, this thickness can be approximately 0.03 in. Formed on the exterior of the hollow tube
824
is a layer of TEFLON™ (not visible in
FIG. 8
) that, for instance, has a thickness of approximately 1.5 to 2 mils. Like the fuser roller
802
, the external heating roller
822
normally comprises an internal heating element
826
that, by way of example, comprises a tungsten filament halogen lamp or a nichrome heating element. When formed as tungsten filament halogen lamp, the internal heating element
826
can have a power rating of, for example, approximately 500 W. Also provided in the fusing system
800
is a second temperature sensor
828
.
In operation, power is supplied to the heating elements
810
,
816
(if provided), and
826
by the control circuit
150
so as to heat each of the rollers
802
,
812
, and
822
, respectively. It is to be noted that heating of the pressure roller
804
is optional in that enough heat may be provided by the internal heating elements
810
and
826
alone. Relatively moderate heating of the pressure roller
804
is deemed preferable however to avoid the accumulation of toner on the elastomeric layer
814
of the pressure roller. By way of example, power is supplied to the heating elements
810
,
816
, and
826
such that the fuser and pressure rollers
802
and
804
are maintained at set point temperatures of approximately 185° C. to 195° C., and the external heating roller
822
is maintained at a set point temperature of approximately 220° C. to 240° C. In order to more precisely control heating and avoid temperature overshoot, the temperature of the fuser roller
802
and the external heating roller
822
are each preferably monitored individually with the separate temperature sensors
820
and
828
such that the power supplied to each of the heating elements
810
and
826
can be individually controlled. By way of example, this control can be provided with point controllers of the power control circuit
350
.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail in the foregoing description and drawings for purposes of example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications thereof can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium, comprising:a fuser roller including an inner tube, an elastomeric layer disposed about the inner tube, and a heat transport layer formed on the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer being composed solely of a metal having high thermal capacity; and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller.
- 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat transport layer is approximately 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm thick.
- 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat transport layer comprises a foil that is disposed around the elastomeric layer.
- 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat transport layer is electrolessly plated to the elastomeric layer.
- 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the heat transport layer is powder coated to the elastomeric layer.
- 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an internal heating element disposed within the fuser roller.
- 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an induction heating element positioned in close proximity with an outer surface of the fuser roller.
- 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heating roller in contact with an outer surface of the fuser roller.
- 9. The fusing system of claim 1, wherein the heat transport layer is greater than 0.1 mm thick.
- 10. A fuser roller for use in a fusing system, comprising:an inner metal tube; an elastomeric layer disposed around the inner metal tube; and a heat transport layer disposed around the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer being composed solely of a metal having a high thermal capacity.
- 11. The roller of claim 10, wherein the heat transport layer is approximately 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm thick.
- 12. The roller of claim 10, wherein the heat transport layer comprises a foil that is disposed around the elastomeric layer.
- 13. The roller of claim 10, wherein the heat transport layer is electrolessly plated to the elastomeric layer.
- 14. The roller of claim 10, wherein the heat transport layer is powder coated to the elastomeric layer.
- 15. The fuser roller of claim 10, wherein the heat transport layer is greater than 0.1 mm thick.
- 16. A device in which toner is fused to a recording medium, comprising:means for attracting toner to a surface of the recording medium; and a fusing system comprising a fuser roller including an elastomeric layer and a heat transport layer formed on the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer being composed solely of a metal having high thermal capacity, and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller.
- 17. The device of claim 16, wherein the heat transport layer is approximately 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm thick.
- 18. The device of claim 16, wherein the heat transport layer comprises a foil that is disposed around the elastomeric layer.
- 19. The device of claim 16, wherein the heat transport layer is electrolessly elastomeric layer.
- 20. The device of claim 16, wherein the heat transport layer is powder elastomeric layer.
- 21. The device of claim 16, wherein the heat transport layer is greater than 0.1 mm thick.
- 22. A fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium, comprising:a fuser roller including an elastomeric layer and a heat transport layer formed on the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer comprising a metal foil having high thermal capacity; and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller.
- 23. A fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium, comprising:a fuser roller including an elastomeric layer and a heat transport layer formed on the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer comprising an electrolessly plated metal layer having high thermal capacity; and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller.
- 24. A fusing system for fusing toner to a recording medium, comprising:a fuser roller including an elastomeric layer and a heat transport layer formed on the elastomeric layer, the heat transport layer comprising a powder coated metal layer having high thermal capacity; and a pressure roller in contact with the fuser roller.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
09-134035 |
May 1997 |
JP |