Information
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Patent Grant
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6393239
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Patent Number
6,393,239
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Date Filed
Tuesday, October 24, 200023 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 21, 200222 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 399 112
- 399 223
- 399 226
- 399 227
- 399 298
- 399 299
- 347 115
- 347 116
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International Classifications
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Abstract
This invention relates to color printing, and more particularly, to color laser printing systems. Such structures of this type, generally, employ a rotatable, carousel type shuttle color printer with a plurality of toner reservoirs such that one of the plurality of toner reservoirs is a high capacity toner reservoir.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to color printing, and more particularly, to color laser printing systems. Such structures of this type, generally, employ a rotatable, carousel type shuttle color printer with an all in one electrophotographic (EP) cartridge having a high capacity toner reservoir.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
It is known, in shuttle type color printers to employ a paper drive. Exemplary of such of prior art is commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,642 ('642) to D. J. Arcaro et. al., entitled “Color Printer with Shuttle Type Paper Drive and Method.” While the '642 reference utilizes a toner cartridge which includes four separate colors (magenta, yellow, cyan, and black) located along the outside of a single photoconductor drum, these four separate colors each have a separate toner reservoir. Presently, these toner reservoirs contain approximately the same amount of toner. However, it is well known that the black toner is used more frequently for printing, especially for printing text, and this black toner reservoir requires replacement more frequently than the other three colors. Therefore, while the printer of the ('642) reference is capable of color printing, it is desirable to include a black toner reservoir which can hold more black toner.
It is also known, in color image forming apparatus, to employ rotatable image forming units. Exemplary of such prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,380 ('380) to N. Katakabe et. al., entitled “Color Image Forming Apparatus with Plural Color Units.” While the '380 reference utilizes rotatable image forming units and a laser beam which is traversed through the image forming units, the apparatus also does not employ a high capacity black toner cartridge. Also, the '380 reference employs expensive optics located within the rotatable image forming unit. Consequently, a more advantageous color printer would be presented if a high capacity black toner cartridge could be employed, while avoiding the use of expensive optics located within the rotatable image forming unit.
It is apparent from the above that there exists in need in the art for a carousel type shuttle color printer with all in one EP cartridges, which at least equals the printing characteristics of the known color printers, but which at the same time contains a high capacity black toner cartridge and avoids the use of optics in the cartridge. It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill this and other needs in the art in a manner more apparent to the skilled artisan once given the following disclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, this invention fulfills these needs by providing a carousel type shuttle color printer, comprising an exposure device including a laser beam periodically emitted from the exposure device and a rotatable color image forming unit having a plurality of different color development stations, wherein one of the plurality of development stations includes a high capacity toner reservoir such that the laser beam from the exposure device can be traversed substantially through the high capacity toner reservoir.
In certain preferred embodiments, the high capacity toner reservoir contains approximately twice as much black toner as a conventional black toner reservoir. Also, the carousel type shuttle color printer can print in a simplex or duplex mode. Finally, the printer avoids the use of optics located within the rotatable color image forming unit.
In another further preferred embodiment, the high capacity toner cartridge allows the carousel type shuttle color printer to continue printing longer without having to frequently replace the most frequently used toner color, which is usually the black toner.
The preferred color printer, according to this invention, offers the following advantages: excellent printing characteristics; ease of assembly and repair; good stability; excellent durability; decreased downtime; and good economy. In fact, in many of the preferred embodiments, these factors of printing characteristics, durability, decreased downtime, and economy are optimized to an extent that is considerably higher than heretofore achieved in prior, known color printers.
The above and other features of the present invention, which become more apparent as the description proceeds, are best understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters represent like parts throughout the views:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1
is a side plan view of a carousel type shuttle color printer with an all in one EP cartridge having a high capacity toner reservoir, according to the present invention; and
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view, taken along line A—A of
FIG. 1
, of a high capacity toner reservoir, according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference first to the
FIG. 1
, there is illustrated in advantageous environment for use of the concepts of this invention. With respect to the
FIG. 1
, carousel type shuttle color printer
2
is shown. Printer
2
includes, in part, conventional automatic paper infeed mechanism
4
, conventional manual paper infeed mechanism
6
, conventional paper outfeed mechanism
8
, conventional exposure device
10
, conventional laser beam
12
, paper shuttle path
14
, pinch rollers
16
,
18
, paper transfer mechanism
20
, rotatable color image forming unit
50
, and duplex mechanism
100
.
With respect to paper shuttle path
14
, during the shuttling of the paper (not shown), pinch rollers
16
,
18
and paper transfer mechanism
20
, operate to move the paper back and forth along paper shuttle path
14
by conventional techniques such as set forth in the above referenced '642 patent. Preferably, paper shuttle path
14
is located adjacent to the sides of color image forming unit
50
and is located along the sides of printer
2
by conventional techniques.
With respect to paper transfer mechanism
20
, paper transfer mechanism
20
includes, in part, pinch rollers
22
,
26
, transfer roller
24
, and transfer belt
28
. It is to be understood that transfer belt
28
contains a grit-like material on its outer side (the side in contact with the paper) in order to more efficiently shuttle the paper.
With respect to color image forming unit
50
, color image forming unit
50
includes, in part, photoconductor drum
52
, developer roller
54
, charge roller
56
, foam roller
58
, high capacity toner reservoir
60
, and waste toner reservoir
62
. It is to be understood that while only one of the color development stations of color image forming unit
50
has been described, the other color development stations are constructed in substantially the same manner. In particular, a standard capacity toner reservoir
30
is also illustrated. Preferably, high capacity toner reservoir
60
contains approximately twice as much toner as standard capacity toner reservoir
30
. It is to be understood that this standard capacity toner reservoir
30
interacts with its own separate photoconductor drum, developer roller, charge roller, foam roller, and waste toner reservoir.
With respect to duplex mechanism
100
, duplex mechanism
100
includes, in part, paper shuttle path
102
and pinch rollers
104
and
106
. Paper shuttle path
102
is located adjacent to the sides of color image forming unit
50
in the same manner as paper shuttle path
14
. Also, paper shuttle path
102
is similarly located along the sides of printer
2
in the same manner as paper shuttle path
14
. Duplex mechanism
100
allows the paper to be printed by conventional techniques on both sides through the use of paper shuttle path
102
, pinch rollers
104
and
106
, and paper transfer mechanism
20
.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, high capacity toner reservoir
60
is shaped so as to allow laser beam
12
to pass through high capacity toner reservoir
60
and impinge upon photoconductor drum
52
. In this manner, a greater amount of toner can be placed in high capacity toner reservoir
60
without adversely affecting the operating characteristics of printer
2
.
During the operation of carousel type color shuttle printer
2
, paper is transferred from automatic paper infeed mechanism
4
or manual paper infeed mechanism
6
by conventional techniques. At this point, printer
2
selects which color is going to be printed upon the paper. If, for example, black is selected as the color to be printed and black toner is located in the high capacity toner reservoir
60
, printer
2
rotates color image forming unit
50
such that the photoconductor drum
52
of the color to be printed is located across from transfer roller
24
, as shown in
FIG. 1. A
laser beam
12
is emitted from exposure device
10
by conventional techniques. Laser beam
12
traverses through high capacity reservoir
60
. The image to be printed upon the paper is then transferred to photoconductor drum
52
by conventional techniques. The paper is then printed according to conventional techniques such as those set forth in the above referenced '642 patent. It is to be understood that, if another color is selected to be printed, color image forming unit
50
is rotated, along the directions of arrows A, such that one of the other photoconductor drums is located across from transfer roller
24
and laser beam
12
is traversed along the side of standard capacity toner reservoir
30
.
As discussed above, if another color needs to be printed upon the paper, the color image forming unit
50
is rotated along the directions of arrows A by conventional techniques. The paper is then shuttled by pinch rollers
16
,
18
, paper transfer mechanism
20
, and/or duplex mechanism
100
. Color image forming unit
50
is then rotated along the directions of arrows A to locate the new desired color, i.e., the photoconductor drum
52
of the new desired color, across from transfer roller
24
. After the new color i.e., photoconductor drum
52
is located across from transfer roller
24
, the new color is printed on the paper according to conventional techniques. This procedure is implemented until any further desired colors are printed upon the paper.
Once given the above disclosure, many other features, modifications or improvements will become apparent to the skilled artisan. Such features, modifications or improvements are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A carousel-type shuttle color printer, wherein said printer is comprised of:an exposure device including a laser beam periodically emitted from said exposure device, and; a rotatable, color image forming unit having a plurality of different color development stations, wherein one of said plurality of different color development stations includes a high capacity toner reservoir such that said laser beam from said exposure device can be traversed substantially through said high capacity toner reservoir.
- 2. The printer, as in claim 1, wherein said color image forming unit is further comprised of:a photoconductor drum which is interacted upon by said exposure devise; a developer roller operatively connected to said photoconductor drum; a charge roller operatively connected to said photoconductor drum; a foam roller operatively connected to said developer roller; and a waste toner reservoir operatively connected to said developer roller and said foam roller.
- 3. The printer, as in claim 1, wherein said printer is further comprised of:a paper transfer means.
- 4. The printer, as in claim 3, wherein said paper transfer means is further comprised of:a transfer roller which contacts said color image forming unit; a transfer belt means located substantially adjacent to said transfer roller; and a paper shuttle path means located substantially adjacent to said transfer belt means.
- 5. The printer, as in claim 4, wherein said transfer belt means is further comprised of:a first plurality of pinch rollers; and a transfer belt operatively connected to said first plurality of pinch rollers.
- 6. The printer, as in claim 5, wherein said paper shuttle path means is further comprised of:at least one paper shuttle path; and a second plurality of pinch rollers operatively connected to said at least one paper shuttle path.
- 7. The printer, as in claim 4, wherein said transfer belt means is further comprised of:a grit-like material located substantially on one side of said transfer belt means such that said grit-like material substantially contacts an edge of a paper to be printed.
- 8. The printer, as in claim 1, wherein said high capacity toner reservoir contains approximately twice as much toner as a standard capacity toner reservoir.
- 9. The printer, as in claim 1, wherein said high capacity toner reservoir contains black toner.
- 10. A method of color printing using a carousel-type shuttle color printer with an all in one electrophotographic cartridge, wherein said method is comprised of the steps of:inserting a piece of paper to be printed upon into a rotatable, color image forming unit having a plurality of different color development stations, wherein one of said plurality of different color development stations includes a high capacity toner reservoir; selecting a desired color to be printed upon said paper such that a toner of said color to be printed is located within said high capacity toner reservoir; operating an exposure device to periodically emit a laser beam from said exposure device such that said laser beam can be traversed substantially through said high capacity toner reservoir, and; printing said desired color on said paper.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5809380 |
Katakabe et al. |
Sep 1998 |
A |
5978642 |
Arcaro et al. |
Nov 1999 |
A |
6201939 |
Yamamoto et al. |
Mar 2001 |
B1 |
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0878742 |
Nov 1998 |
EP |