Electrophotography – Document handling – Copy
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2001-02-13
Grainger, Quana M. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Document handling
Copy
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188865
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a fixing means for fixing toner images on a web-shaped recording medium in a printer or copier device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fixing means of said species is disclosed by German Patent Document DE-C2 4235668. It contains a guide yoke with a deflector edge over which the recording medium is supplied to the actual fixing region.
On the one hand, this guide yoke can serve for heating the recording medium; on the other hand, it stabilizes the recording medium as it is running through the printer. In the print mode, the recording medium slides over the sliding surface of the yoke and over the deflector edge. The deflector edge is thereby subject to significantly higher wear than the sliding surface. When the deflector edge is worn, this leads to an imprecise delivery of the recording medium to the following fixing region, which significantly degrades the fixing quality and, thus, the printing quality. In case of wear, the entire guide yoke must be replaced. This is involved and causes an undesired, long interruption of the print mode or, respectively, necessitates a re-adjustment of the entire fixing station.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a fixing means of a printer or copier device such that wear, particularly wear occurring in the region of the deflector edge of the guide yoke, can be corrected in the shortest time without replacing the entire guide yoke.
This and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by a fixing means for fixing toner images on a web-shaped recording medium in a printer or copier device having a thermal fixing region comprising fixing drums and having a guide yoke, that is swivellable as needed, preceding the thermal fixing region in the running direction of the recording medium whose end facing toward the thermal fixing region comprises a deflector edge over which the recording medium is supplied to the thermal fixing region, the deflector edge being replaceably fashioned and being composed of highly wear-resistant material, at least in the contacting region with the recording medium.
An additional feature of the invention provides that the deflector edge is composed of a plurality of individual deflector elements. The deflector edge comprises at least one cylindrical element that is releasably secured in a holder of the guide yoke, and may provide that the holder accepts the deflector element rotatable around its longitudinal axis and is fixable. Preferably, the highly wear-resistant material is composed of steel with a nitrated surface.
The end of the guide yoke comprises a receptacle channel for the acceptance of the deflector edge. The fixing means of one embodiment is designed for the acceptance of two recording medium webs conducted over the guide yoke side-by-side.
The discharge region of the guide yoke accepting the deflector edge comprises a sliding surface for the recording medium, the sliding surface being conducted on a straight surface and terminating tangentially with the deflector edge.
The guide yoke is an unheated, swivellable yoke carrying a sliding surface for the recording medium or media. Alternately, the guide yoke is fashioned as a heated, swivellable preheating yoke carrying a sliding surface for the recording medium or media.
The deflector edge is fashioned so as to be interchangeable and is composed of a highly wear-resistant material at least in the contact region with the recording medium, so that a complete replacement of the deflector yoke is eliminated in case of wear. Long operating interruptions of the printer device are thereby avoided. An involved readjustment of the fixing station is eliminated.
In an advantageous embodiment, the deflector edge is composed of a surface-hardened steel shaft that is arranged so as to be rotationally fixable in a receptacle channel at the end of the guide yoke. By simply releasing the holder, the steel shaft can be turned in case of wear, and a new, unused region can thus be brought into contact with the recording medium. The original condition is thus restored without readjustment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4401385 (1983-08-01), Katayama et al.
patent: 5159394 (1992-10-01), Jinzai
patent: 5166736 (1992-11-01), Ogawa et al.
patent: 5491545 (1996-02-01), Kopp et al.
patent: 5495324 (1996-02-01), Kopp
patent: 5546178 (1996-08-01), Manzer et al.
patent: 5568245 (1996-10-01), Ferber et al.
patent: 5752153 (1998-05-01), Kreiter et al.
patent: 5758227 (1998-05-01), Kopp
patent: 42 35 668 A1 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 0 572 050 A2 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 1-164975 (1989-06-01), None
patent: WO 94/27193 (1994-11-01), None
Japanese Abstract, JP59036274, Publication Date: Feb. 28, 1984.
Grainger Quana M.
Oce Printing Systems GmbH
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
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