Patent
System and drive arrangement for using fuser temperature cycling to change rotational position of a fuser roller wiper
| العنوان: | System and drive arrangement for using fuser temperature cycling to change rotational position of a fuser roller wiper |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 8,023,875 |
| تاريخ النشر: | September 20, 2011 |
| Appl. No: | 12/346229 |
| Application Filed: | December 30, 2008 |
| مستخلص: | A system and drive arrangement for using fuser temperature cycling to change rotational position of a fuser roller wiper includes a frame, a hot roll, a fuser roller, and a drive arrangement. The frame of the fuser unit has side panels spaced apart from one another and positioned alongside a media path through the fuser unit. The hot roll on the fuser unit is rotatably mounted to the side panels of the frame and extends between the side panels across the media path. The fuser roller wiper is rotatably mounted between the side panels of the frame and performs a wiping action on the hot roll to remove foreign matter therefrom and supply of lubricant thereto. The drive arrangement is coupled to the fuser roller wiper and is operable in response to decrease in temperature of the fuser unit to rotate the fuser roller wiper. |
| Inventors: | Cahill, Daniel Paul (Verona, KY, US); Maddux, Thomas Paul (Lexington, KY, US); Piening, Chad Michael (Lexington, KY, US); Samuels, Louann Behymer (Georgetown, KY, US); Woodson, Curtis Duane (Georgetown, KY, US) |
| Assignees: | Lexmark International, Inc. (Lexington, KY, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A system for using fuser temperature cycling to change the rotational position of a fuser roller wiper relative to a fuser hot roll, comprising: a frame of a fuser unit having opposite side portions spaced apart from one another and positioned alongside a media path through the fuser unit, the fuser unit during normal operation undergoing increase and decrease in temperature; a hot roll rotatably mounted between the side portions and extending across the media path, the hot roll operable to undergo rotation in one direction during a fusing operation performed on media moving in the media path through the fuser unit, a fuser roller wiper rotatably mounted between the side portions and extending generally parallel to the hot roll such that one lengthwise section of the fuser roller wiper makes contact with and performs a wiping action on the hot roll; and a drive arrangement coupled to the fuser roller wiper and operable in response to decrease in temperature of the fuser unit to cause rotation of the fuser roller wiper in an other direction opposite to the one direction of rotation of the hot roll at their location of contact in order to bring another lengthwise section of the fuser roller wiper into contact with the hot roll; wherein said drive arrangement includes a one-way torque transmission mechanism drivingly connected to the fuser roller wiper of a fuser unit and being rotatable in the one and the other of opposite directions, the one-way torque transmission mechanism is capable of drivingly rotating the fuser roller wiper in the other direction as the one-way torque transmission mechanism is itself rotated in the same direction, the one-way torque transmission is also capable upon rotating in the one direction of preventing the fuser roller wiper from rotating in the one direction; and wherein said drive arrangement also includes an elongated member adapted to expand and contract in length in response to an increase and decrease in temperature of the elongated member due to corresponding temperature cycling of the fuser unit in the vicinity of the elongated member, the elongated member stationarily anchored at one end and extending therefrom in the vicinity of the fuser unit to and about the one-way torque transmission mechanism in a driving relationship therewith such that movement of the elongated member toward and away from the one-way torque transmission mechanism due to expansion and contraction of the length of the elongated member causes the one-way torque transmission mechanism to rotate correspondingly in the one and the other opposite directions. |
| Claim: | 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one-way torque transmission mechanism is a one-way clutch. |
| Claim: | 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the elongated member is an elongated strand of wire. |
| Claim: | 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the elongated strand of wire is a strand of stainless steel wire. |
| Claim: | 5. The system of claim 3 wherein the elongated strand of wire is a strand of plastic material. |
| Claim: | 6. The system of claim 1 wherein said drive arrangement further includes a stretchable and retractable member stationarily anchored at one end and attached at an opposite end to the other end of the elongated member such that the stretchable and retractable member stretches in response to contraction of the elongated member in length causing the one-way torque transmission mechanism to rotate in the other direction and rotate the fuser roller wiper therewith and the stretchable and retractable member retracts in response to expansion of the elongated member in length causing the one-way clutch to rotate in the one direction and prevent rotation of the fuser roller wiper therewith. |
| Claim: | 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the stretchable and retractable member is a spring. |
| Claim: | 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the spring is a coil spring. |
| Claim: | 9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive arrangement is a passive drive arrangement, without processor control. |
| Claim: | 10. A drive arrangement for using temperature cycling of a machine to change the rotational position of a rotatable member of the machine, comprising: a one-way torque transmission mechanism drivingly connected to a rotatable member of a machine and being rotatable in one and the other of opposite directions, the one-way torque transmission mechanism capable of drivingly rotating the rotatable member in the one direction as the one-way torque transmission is itself rotated in the same one direction, the one-way torque transmission mechanism also capable upon rotating in the other direction of preventing the rotatable member from rotating in the other direction; an elongated member adapted to expand and contract in length in response to an increase and decrease in temperature of the elongated member due to corresponding temperature cycling of the machine in the vicinity of the elongated member, the elongated member stationarily anchored at one end and extending therefrom in the vicinity of the machine to and about the one-way torque transmission mechanism in a driving relationship therewith such that movement of the elongated member toward and away from the one-way torque transmission mechanism due to expansion and contraction of the length of the elongated member causes the one-way torque transmission mechanism to rotate correspondingly in the one and other opposite directions; and a stretchable and retractable member stationarily anchored at one end and attached at an opposite end to the other end of the elongated member such that the stretchable and retractable member stretches in response to the contraction of the elongated member in length causing the one-way torque transmission mechanism to rotate in the one direction and rotate the rotatable member therewith and the stretchable and retractable member retracts in response to expansion of the elongated member in length causing the one-way torque transmission mechanism to rotate in the other direction and prevent rotation of the rotatable member therewith. |
| Claim: | 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the one-way torque transmission mechanism is a one-way clutch. |
| Claim: | 12. The system of claim 10 wherein the elongated member is an elongated strand of wire. |
| Claim: | 13. The system of claim 10 wherein the stretchable and retractable member is a spring. |
| Claim: | 14. The system of claim 10 wherein the spring is a coil spring. |
| Claim: | 15. A drive arrangement for using temperature cycling of a fuser unit to change the rotational position of a fuser roller wiper of the fuser unit, comprising: a one-way torque transmission mechanism drivingly connected to a fuser roller wiper of a fuser unit and being rotatable in one and the other of opposite directions, the one-way torque transmission mechanism capable of drivingly rotating the fuser roller wiper in the one direction as the one-way torque transmission mechanism is itself rotated in the same one direction, the one-way torque transmission also capable upon rotating in the other direction of preventing the fuser roller wiper from rotating in the other direction; an elongated member adapted to expand and contract in length in response to increase and decrease in temperature of the elongated member due to corresponding temperature cycling of the fuser unit in the vicinity of the elongated member, the elongated member stationarily anchored at one end and extending therefrom in the vicinity of the fuser unit to and about the one-way torque transmission mechanism in a driving relationship therewith such that movement of the elongated member toward and away from the one-way torque transmission mechanism due to expansion and contraction of the length of the elongated member causes the one-way torque transmission mechanism to rotate correspondingly in the one and the other opposite directions; and a stretchable and retractable member stationarily anchored at one end and attached at an opposite end to the other end of the elongated member such that the stretchable and retractable member stretches in response to contraction of the elongated member in length causing the one-way torque transmission mechanism to rotate in the one direction and rotate the fuser roller wiper therewith and the stretchable and retractable member retracts in response to expansion of the elongated member in length causing the one-way torque transmission mechanism to rotate in the other direction and prevent rotation of the fuser roller wiper therewith. |
| Claim: | 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the one-way torque transmission mechanism is a one-way clutch. |
| Claim: | 17. The system of claim 15 wherein the elongated member is an elongated strand of wire. |
| Claim: | 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the strand of wire is one of a strand of stainless steel wire or a strand of plastic material. |
| Claim: | 19. The system of claim 15 wherein the stretchable and retractable member is a spring. |
| Claim: | 20. A system for using fuser temperature cycling to change the rotational position of a fuser roller wiper relative to a fuser hot roll, comprising: a frame of a fuser unit having opposite side portions spaced apart from one another and positioned alongside a media path through the fuser unit, the fuser unit during normal operation undergoing increase and decrease in temperature; a hot roll rotatably mounted between the side portions and extending across the media path, the hot roll operable to undergo rotation in one direction during a fusing operation performed on media moving in the media path through the fuser unit, a fuser roller wiper rotatably mounted between the side portions and extending generally parallel to the hot roll such that one lengthwise section of the fuser roller wiper makes contact with and performs a wiping action on the hot roll; and a drive arrangement coupled to the fuser roller wiper and operable in response to decrease in temperature of the fuser unit to cause rotation of the fuser roller wiper in an other direction opposite to the one direction of rotation of the hot roll at their location of contact in order to bring another lengthwise section of the fuser roller wiper into contact with the hot roll; wherein the drive arrangement is a passive drive arrangement, without processor control. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 399/327 |
| Patent References Cited: | 4549803 October 1985 Ohno et al. 4557588 December 1985 Tomosada 6875164 April 2005 Lebold et al. 6950615 September 2005 Jung et al. 7274903 September 2007 Carter et al. 7299001 November 2007 Yamazaki 59030575 February 1984 02280182 November 1990 04014082 January 1992 11352816 December 1999 2000187410 July 2000 2002365955 December 2002 2003140504 May 2003 2003167466 June 2003 2008040279 February 2008 |
| Primary Examiner: | Beatty, Robert |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.08023875 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |