JP2016200810A - Systems and methods for adjusting transfer zone dwell time - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide systems without light-weight medium or main body deficiency caused by distortion of paper.SOLUTION: As a base material 15 is conveyed by an image carrier 18, medium characteristics of the base material are detected. The base material is moved in a processing direction via a transfer zone 102 including a transfer device 114 and an adhesion release device 117. A dwell time is determined for duration of the base material dwelling in the transfer zone on the basis of the medium characteristics of the base material. An interval between the transfer device and the adhesion release device is adjusted as a function of the medium characteristics of the base material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

  The systems and methods herein relate generally to machines having a print engine, such as a printer and / or copier, and more specifically, physical control of electrostatic control in an image transfer zone or vacuum transport control in a direct marking zone. The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the residence time of a media sheet to relate to distance.

  Conventional digital copying systems receive electronic image (s) that are passed to an image processing unit. The image processing unit may be a combination of software and hardware elements that accept the electronic images from different sources and perform the operations necessary to convert the images into a format compatible with the output path of the digital reproduction system. it can.

  A trade-off is usually required when trying to design for both light and heavy media in direct marking or image transfer zones, regardless of whether the media is driven through an electrostatic or vacuum assist process. Most designs focus on the formation of several levels of optimal bend radii in the media path. For heavy media, the goal is to maximize the bend radius to reduce drag before obtaining paper in an electrostatic or vacuum transport system. In general, it is also advantageous to maximize the dwell time of electrostatic or vacuum transport control for heavy media to assist in driving the paper through the system. For light media, it is usually desirable to minimize the bend radius to take advantage of the inherent stiffness of the media when curled to help suppress kinking. Some designs even attempt to change the media path, but minimizing the bend radius to suppress paper kinks and wrinkles is not very effective. Known systems have problems with lightweight media and body loss due to paper kinking. Direct marking applications have problems with ink jet strikes.

  In one aspect of the method disclosed herein, media substrate properties are detected and media retention or continuation in electrostatic or vacuum transport control just prior to (in between) direct marking or image transfer zones. The time is automatically adjusted to ensure excellent alignment from the substrate to the marking image. A long residence time helps drive heavy paper through the system. For light media, a shorter dwell time is sufficient for drive capability and a simplified pressure assist system easily suppresses kinks and paper wrinkles.

  According to the system disclosed herein, the residence time minimizes cross-processing kinks in light paper and avoids heavy paper for either electrostatic or direct marking systems to avoid sheet jamming / dirt. It is adjusted to improve driving ability. Residence time has both upper and lower failure modes depending on the media properties such as stiffness, size, moisture content and roughness. If the residence time is too long, it can lead to wrinkling and distortion of the paper in the image transfer or direct marking zone. If the residence time is too short, it may result in loss of drive capability and slippage in the image transfer or direct marking zone. For example, in light paper, the dwell time is around the print area and from the print area to prevent over-constraining of the media and to allow the associated pressure device to perform their flattening function. Minimized and aggregated without leaving. For heavy paper, if the paper drag reaches the upper limit (stiff paper through kinking), the dwell time will be maximized to improve drive capability and eliminate slippage. Recognizing that there are upper and lower failure modes allows the system to compensate as needed. For electrostatic systems, the charging device (eg, corotron) moves closer or further depending on paper properties such as media weight (eg, heavy versus light). For direct marking systems, the vacuum residence is changed in a similar manner.

  According to the apparatus in the specification of the present application, the image carrier carries an image to be transferred to the substrate. The supply mechanism supplies the base material to the image carrier. The transfer support mechanism is adjacent to the image carrier. The transfer support mechanism includes a transfer support blade that is movable between an active position that holds the substrate in contact with the image carrier and an inactive position that contacts the image carrier and does not hold the substrate. The transfer assist mechanism also includes a transfer corotron located adjacent to the transfer assist blade and an adhesion release corotron located downstream from the transfer corotron in the processing direction. The spacing between the transfer corotron and the detack corotron comprises a transfer zone. The sensor determines the media characteristics of the substrate and generates a signal based on the media characteristics. The controller receives a signal from the sensor and directs the movement of at least one of the transfer corotron and the desticker corotron that adjusts the spacing between the transfer corotron and the desticker corotron. A debonding corotron at a first distance from the transfer corotron corresponds to a relatively maximum residence time for a relatively heavy substrate. A debonding corotron at a second distance from the transfer corotron corresponds to a relatively short residence time for a relatively light substrate. The second distance is smaller than the first distance.

  According to the apparatus herein, the transfer assist mechanism comprises a transfer zone. The transfer zone includes an image transfer device at the beginning of the transfer zone and a detackifying device at the end of the transfer zone. The size of the transfer zone can be adjusted. The residence time of the substrate moving through the transfer zone is a function of the size of the transfer zone. The sensor determines the media properties of the substrate moving in the process direction through the transfer zone. The controller is connected to the transfer device and the detackifying device and receives a characteristic signal from the sensor. The controller determines an appropriate time for continuation of the substrate in the transfer zone based on the substrate media characteristics. The controller changes the spacing between the transfer device and the detackifier as a function of the media properties of the substrate to adjust the residence time for the substrate.

  According to the method in the present specification, the substrate is supplied to the image carrier. The transfer support mechanism comprising the transfer corotron and the debonding corotron is activated. As the substrate is transported to the image carrier, the medium characteristics of the substrate are detected. The residence time of the substrate between the transfer corotron and the detack corotron is determined based on the media properties of the substrate. The residence time varies as a function of the media properties of the substrate by adjusting the distance between the transfer corotron and the detack corotron.

  These and other features are described in, and are apparent from, the following detailed description.

  Various examples of systems and methods are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a side view of an apparatus according to the apparatus and method herein. FIG. 2A is a front view of a transfer support mechanism according to the apparatus and method of the present specification. FIG. 2B is a front view of the transfer support mechanism according to the apparatus and method of the present specification. FIG. 3 illustrates a corotron configuration according to the apparatus and method herein. FIG. 4 illustrates a corotron configuration according to the apparatus and method herein. FIG. 5 illustrates vacuum transfer according to the apparatus and method herein. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the method herein. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the systems and methods herein.

  The present disclosure will now be described by reference to a multifunction device including a print engine for electrostatic image transfer. Although the present disclosure is described below in connection with particular systems and methods, it will be understood that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to such particular systems and methods. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

  For a general understanding of the features of the present disclosure, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been used throughout to identify identical elements.

  Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a multifunction machine 10 that can be used with the apparatus and methods herein and can include, for example, a printer, copier, facsimile machine, multi-function device (MFD), and the like. . The multifunction machine 10 includes an automatic document feeder 20 (ADF) that can be used to scan the document 11 fed from the first tray 19 to the second tray 23 (at the scan station 22). The user can input desired printing and finishing instructions via a graphic user interface (GUI) or control panel 17, or can use a job ticket, electronic print job description from a remote source, etc. it can. The GUI or control panel 17 includes one or more processors 60, a power source, and a storage device 62 that stores a program of instructions readable by the processor 60 for performing the various functions described herein. Can be included. The storage device 62 may comprise a non-volatile storage medium including, for example, a magnetic device, an optical device, a capacitor base device, and the like.

  An electronic or optical image or an image of a reproduced document or document set can be projected or scanned onto a charged surface 13 or photoreceptor belt 18 to form an electrostatic latent image. The photoreceptor belt 18 is mounted on a set of rollers 26. At least one roller 26 is indicated by arrow 21 past various other known electrostatic processing stations, including charging station 28, imaging station 24 (for raster scanning laser system 25), developing station 30 and transfer station 32. Driven to move the photoreceptor belt 18 in the direction shown.

  Therefore, the electrostatic latent image is developed with a developing material for forming a toner image corresponding to the latent image. Specifically, the sheet of print media 15 is fed from a selected media sheet tray 33 with paper feed to the sheet transport 34 for movement to the transfer station 32. Thus, the toner image can be electrostatically transferred to the print medium 15 and permanently fixed by the fixing device 16. The sheet is peeled from the photoreceptor belt 18 and conveyed to a fixing station 36 having a fixing device 16 where the toner image is melted into the sheet. A guide can be applied to the print medium 15 to guide it away from the fuser roll. After being separated from the fixing roll, the print medium 15 is conveyed by the sheet output conveyance unit 37 to the output tray in the multi-function finishing station 50.

  Printed sheets from the multifunction machine 10 are received at the entry port 38 and have multiple paths and printed sheet discharge trays corresponding to different desired operations such as stapling, hole punching and C or Z folding, It is guided to the upper tray 54 and the main tray 55. Those skilled in the art will understand that the multifunction finishing station 50 can comprise any functional unit and that the modular booklet maker 40 is shown by way of example only, For example, the modular booklet maker 40 can be included as needed. The finished booklet is collected in the stacker 70. Various rollers and other devices in contact with the sheets in the multifunction finishing station 50 include the GUI or control panel 17 or other location processor 60 in a manner generally known in the art, such as It should be understood that they are driven by various motors, solenoids and other electromechanical devices (not shown). The processor 60 can include a microprocessor.

  The multi-function finishing station 50 therefore has an upper tray 54 and a main tray 55, a folded and booklet making station that adds stapled and unstapleted booklet creation and single sheet C-folding and Z-folding capabilities. The upper tray 54 is used not only as a purge destination, but also as the simplest job destination that does not require any finishing or collating stacking. The main tray 55 can have, for example, a pair of penetrating staplers 56 and is used for most jobs that require stacking or stapling. The folding destination is used to generate whether or not to be saddle stitched and a triple folded signature booklet. The finished booklet is collected in the stacker 70. Sheets made into C-folds, Z-folds or booklets or sheets that do not require staples are transferred along the path 51 to the upper tray 54. Sheets that require stapling are transferred along path 52, stapled by stapler 56, and deposited in main tray 55.

  As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the multifunction machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and the apparatus and methods herein may include other types of printing that may include fewer elements or more elements. It is equally applicable to devices. For example, while a limited number of print engines and paper paths are shown in FIG. 1, those skilled in the art will recognize that any number of paper paths and additional print engines may be used by the apparatus and methods herein. It will be understood that it can be included in a printing device.

  In other words, a typical image forming system includes a multifunction device having printing, copying, scanning and facsimile services. Such multi-function devices are well known in the art and can include print engines based on liquid or solid ink jet, electrophotography, other electrostatic technologies, and other imaging technologies. The general principles of electrophotographic imaging are well known to many skilled in the art and are described above as an example of an imaging system to which this concept is applicable.

  A typical electrostatic copying or printing process uses a photoconductive member charged to a substantially uniform potential, and the charged portion of the photoconductive member is then exposed to an optical image of a document to be reproduced or printed. . The exposure of the charged photoreceptor selectively dissipates the charge on the irradiated area so that an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the information area contained within the document is recorded on the photoreceptor. After the electrostatic latent image is recorded on the photoconductive member, the latent image is developed by contacting with a developer. In general, the developer is composed of toner particles that are triboelectrically attached to carrier particles. Toner particles are attached to the latent image from the carrier particles so as to form a toner powder image on the photoreceptor. Thereafter, the toner powder image is transferred from the surface of the photoreceptor to a substrate such as paper. Thereafter, heat or some other treatment is applied to the toner particles to permanently fix the powder image to the substrate. In the final stage of the process, the photoconductive surface layer of the photoreceptor is washed to remove any residual developer material therefrom in preparation for a continuous imaging cycle.

  The process of transferring charged toner particles from an image carrier, such as a photoconductive member, to an image support substrate, such as copy paper, is made possible by overcoming the adhesion that holds the toner particles to the image carrier. The Usually, transfer of toner images developed for electrostatographic applications is accomplished via electrostatic induction using a corona generator. The image supporting substrate is disposed in direct contact with the developed toner image on the photosensitive surface, while the back surface of the image supporting substrate electrostatically attracts toner particles from the photosensitive member. In order to transfer the toner particles to the toner particles, the toner particles are exposed to corona discharge in order to generate ions having the opposite polarity to the toner particles.

  As noted above, the usual process for transferring developer in an electrostatic system is to physically separate charged toner particles from a selectively charged image bearing surface and to provide an image support substrate via an electrostatic force field. And transfer of such charged particles to. One aspect of the transfer process involves the application and maintenance of a high-intensity electrostatic field in the transfer area to overcome the adhesion forces acting on the toner particles as they rest on the surface of the selectively charged imaging member. In addition, other forces such as mechanical pressure or vibrational energy are used to support and enhance the transfer process. Careful control of electrostatic fields and other forces induces physical peeling and transfer of charged toner particles without scattering or fouling the developer. Such scattering and contamination can result in an insufficient output image.

  An exemplary copy transfer portion of an electrostatographic image forming apparatus is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The transfer zone is generally indicated as 102. The transfer assist blade 105 is shown engaged with the back surface of the print medium 15, so that as the print medium 15 is driven in the direction of the arrow 108 by the pinch roller 111, the photosensitive belt 18, etc. The print medium 15 is pressed onto the image carrier. A transfer device such as transfer corotron 114 sufficiently charges the substrate to bias the toner particles for transfer from the photoreceptor belt 18 to the print medium 15. Upon exiting the transfer zone 102, a detacking device, such as a detacking corotron 117, provides the opposite charge, thereby helping to detack the print media 15 from the photoreceptor belt 18. The controller 120 cooperates with a sensor system 123 comprising an emitter 126 and a sensor array 129 to determine the media properties of the substrate. Other sensor systems can also be used. As shown in FIG. 2A, the controller 120 receives a signal from the sensor system 123 and moves from a first position indicated by A in FIG. 2A toward the transfer corotron 114 to a second position indicated by B in FIG. 2B. The movement of the debonding corotron 117 is instructed. As shown in FIG. 2B, the controller 120 receives a signal from the sensor system 123 and moves from a first position indicated by C in FIG. 2B toward the debonding corotron 117 and a second indicated by D in FIG. 2B. The movement of the transfer corotron 114 to the position is instructed. The positioning of the transfer corotron and detack corotron relative to each other is described in further detail below.

  In electrophotographic systems consisting of photoreceptors or photoreceptor belts, the retention of electrostatic control for media on the photoreceptor surface can be optimized by changing the spacing between the transfer corotron and the detack corotron. Referring to FIG. 3, transfer corotron 114 is positioned adjacent to transfer assist blade 105, which is the beginning of transfer zone 102 (FIGS. 2A and 2B). The debonding corotron 117 is located downstream from the transfer corotron 114 in the processing direction. The processing direction is indicated by an arrow 203. At least the debonding corotron 117 is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the spacing between the transfer corotron 114 and the detack corotron 117 can be indicated as d1. The controller 120 receives a signal from the sensor system 123 and directs the movement of the debonding corotron 117 to the second position. In the second position, the spacing between the transfer corotron 114 and the detack corotron 117 can be shown as d2. Note that d2 is smaller than d1. In some cases, it is envisioned that transfer corotron 114 may be movable between a first position and a second position. As described above, in the first position, the spacing between the transfer corotron 114 and the debonding corotron 117 can be denoted as d1. The controller 120 receives a signal from the sensor system 123 and directs the transfer corotron 114 to move to the second position. In the second position, the spacing between the transfer corotron 114 and the detack corotron 117 can be shown as d2. It is further envisioned that both transfer corotron 114 and detack corotron 117 can be moved by operation of controller 120 to adjust the size of transfer zone 102.

  FIG. 4 illustrates a similar configuration for electrophotographic applications where the photoreceptor includes a cylindrical drum 304. In this case, as the print medium 15 moves in the processing direction indicated by arrow 307, the print medium 15 can at least partially wrap around the drum. As described above, the transfer corotron 114 is positioned adjacent to the transfer assist blade 105 that is the start of the transfer zone 102 (FIGS. 2A and 2B). The debonding corotron 117 is located downstream from the transfer corotron 114 in the processing direction. At least the debonding corotron 117 is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the spacing between the transfer corotron 114 and the detack corotron 117 can be indicated as d1. The controller 120 receives a signal from the sensor system 123 and directs the movement of the debonding corotron 117 to the second position. In the second position, the spacing between the transfer corotron 114 and the detack corotron 117 can be shown as d2. Again, d2 is smaller than d1. Similarly, in some cases, it is envisioned that transfer corotron 114 is movable between a first position and a second position. As described above, in the first position, the spacing between the transfer corotron 114 and the debonding corotron 117 can be denoted as d1. The controller 120 receives a signal from the sensor system 123 and directs the transfer corotron 114 to move to the second position. In the second position, the spacing between the transfer corotron 114 and the detack corotron 117 can be shown as d2. It is further envisioned that both transfer corotron 114 and detack corotron 117 can be moved by operation of controller 120 to adjust the size of transfer zone 102.

  The first position corresponds to a relatively maximum residence time for a relatively heavy substrate or print medium 15 that can be automatically determined by the sensor system 123. The second position corresponds to a relatively short residence time for a relatively light substrate or print medium 15 that can be automatically determined by the sensor system 123. That is, there is more separation between corotron devices that results in longer residence time in transfer zone 102 for heavy media, and less separation between corotron devices that results in shorter residence time in transfer zone 102 for light media. . Transfer zone 102 is the distance between adjustable transfer corotron 114 and detack corotron 117 according to the apparatus and methods herein. The controller 120 automatically adjusts the residence time of the substrate moving through the transfer zone 102 by changing the size of the transfer zone 102.

  As described above, either the transfer corotron 114 or the debonding corotron 117 can be in a fixed position, and only one of the corotrons 114, 117 moves. However, while the standard configuration has more freedom for drag on heavy paper with full page halftone, both the transfer corotron 114 and the debonding corotron 117 may be movable. is assumed. Moving the corotron separately or together has been shown to allow the technique using the transfer assist blade 105 to suppress kinking under the worst conditions with light paper. Further, the figure shows a first position (A) and a second position (B) of the debonding corotron 117, and a first position (C) and a second position (D) of the transfer corotron 114, It is envisioned that the spacing may be a variable distance between the transfer corotron 114 and the debonding corotron 117.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in a direct marking application consisting of a vacuum transport system, the period during which the media is under vacuum transport control or dwell time is automatically changed by changing the engagement point of the media path to the vacuum transport belt can do. In the upper diagram, for a heavier piece of print media 15, the first gate 405 causes the print media 15 to be initially engaged by the vacuum transport device 408 for a longer residence time in the processing direction indicated by arrow 411. Make it possible. In the lower figure, for a lighter piece of print media 15, the second gate 413 is later engaged by the vacuum transport device 408 for a shorter residence time in which the print media 15 is in the processing direction indicated by arrow 411. It is possible.

  In both applications, heavier media require longer dwells for additional drive capability. On the other hand, lighter media always require less stagnation and it is advantageous to minimize stagnation to help prevent kinking or wrinkling when running light media.

  FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the processing flow of an exemplary method according to the systems and methods herein. In 615, the substrate is supplied to an image carrier. As indicated at 630, the media properties of the substrate are detected as the substrate is transported to the image carrier. At 645, the transfer assist mechanism comprising the transfer corotron and the debonding corotron is activated. As shown at 660, the substrate is moved in the process direction through a transfer zone including a transfer corotron and a detack corotron. The transfer corotron marks the start of the transfer zone and the detack corotron marks the end of the transfer zone. At 675, an appropriate residence time is determined for the duration of the substrate in the transfer zone based on the media properties of the substrate. At 690, the residence time is adjusted by changing the spacing between the transfer corotron and the detack corotron.

  As shown in FIG. 7, exemplary printers, copiers, multifunction devices, and multi-function devices (MFDs) 10 can be located in a variety of different physical locations 706. Other devices according to the systems and methods herein can include various computerized devices 708. The computerized device 708 can include a print server, a printing device, a personal computer, etc., and is in communication via a network 710 (operably connected to each other). The network 710 can be any type of network including a global computer network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or the Internet.

  The hardware described herein is described above rather than functioning alone as a mechanism to allow a solution to be achieved more quickly (ie, by utilizing a computer to perform calculations). Play an important role in allowing the method to be performed. For example, these methods reduce the incidence of paper wrinkles and finger-like deletions due to paper kinks.

  An advantage of the apparatus and method described herein is that it has a distance between moving corotrons to provide the most robust position for running either light or heavy media for electrostatic systems. Including. For light media in electrophotographic applications, low area coverage is a stress because the electrostatic adhesion is much higher when there is no image on the page. The method prevents kinking or feeding of the sheet trap so that the pressure device can function properly for electrostatic and direct marking systems.

  As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the processes described herein cannot be performed by humans alone (or those that work with pens and paper pads); instead, such processes are Can only be done by Specifically, processes such as printing, scanning, and electronic determination of media properties require the use of different specialized machines. Thus, for example, the corotron and printing / scanning operations performed by the apparatus herein cannot be performed manually (since the machine is required to perform sensing and printing) Such an apparatus is integral to the process performed by the method herein. In addition, such machine-only processes are not just “post-solution activities” because the automatic determination of media properties is integral to the process steps described herein. Similarly, a dedicated device (such as a wireless communication device, a router, or a switch) different from the general-purpose processor is used for receiving a print job and converting data. In other words, because the method cannot be performed without a machine (and cannot be performed alone), these various machines are integral with the method herein.

  Furthermore, the method herein solves many very complex technical problems. For example, stagnant adjustment minimizes cross-processing kinks on light paper and improves drive capability on heavy paper to avoid sheet jam / dirt. The method in the present specification solves this technical problem by adjusting the image transfer residence time according to the characteristics of the print medium. This is particularly useful in solving this technical problem because the approaching corotron results in suppression of paper kinks during image transfer. By providing such advantages, the methods herein reduce the amount and complexity of hardware and software required to purchase, install, and maintain those that seek to reduce quality degradation. , Thereby solving substantial technical challenges experienced today.

  Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to various systems and methods. Each block in the flowchart diagram and / or the two-dimensional block diagram and combinations of blocks in the flowchart diagram and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. The computer program instructions form the means for instructions executed via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device to implement the functions / operations specified in the blocks and / or block diagrams of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. As such, it can be provided to the processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to generate the machine.

  According to further apparatus and methods herein, a computer read embodied therein to perform the steps of a computer-implemented method, including but not limited to the method illustrated in FIG. A product including a tangible computer readable medium having possible instructions is provided. Any combination of one or more computer-readable persistent media can be used. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The persistent computer storage medium stores instructions for performing the methods described herein, and the processor executes the instructions. The computer readable storage medium can be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. . Any of these devices may have computer readable instructions for performing the method steps described above with reference to FIG.

  Computer program instructions are specified such that instructions stored on a computer readable medium produce a product that includes instructions that implement the functions / operations specified in the blocks and / or block diagrams of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. Can be stored on a computer-readable medium that can instruct a computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device to function in the manner described above.

  Furthermore, a computer program instruction may also be a process for instructions executing on a computer or other programmable device to implement a function / operation specified in a block and / or block diagram of a flowchart and / or block diagram. A computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device for causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable device, or other device to generate a computer-implemented process to provide Can be loaded on top.

  When implementing the systems and methods herein with software and / or firmware, the programs that make up the software can be installed on a computer by dedicated hardware from a storage medium or network, and the computer can be installed there. When there are various programs, various functions can be executed.

  When the series of processes described above is implemented by software, a program constituting the software may be installed from a network such as the Internet or a recording medium such as a removable medium. Examples of removable media include magnetic disks (including floppy disks), optical disks (including compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) and digital versatile disks (DVD)), and minidisks (MD) (registered trademark). Including magneto-optical disk and semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the storage medium may be a ROM in which programs are stored and distributed to users together with devices including them, a hard disk included in a storage unit of a disk unit, and the like.

  As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the system and method aspects herein may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure are generally referred to herein as an entire hardware system, an entire software system (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or a “circuit”, “module” or “system”. It can take the form of a system that combines aspects of software and hardware that can be configured. Furthermore, aspects of the disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied therein.

  Any combination of one or more computer-readable persistent media can be used. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The persistent computer storage medium stores instructions for performing the methods described herein, and the processor executes the instructions. The computer readable storage medium can be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. . More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer readable storage media include: electrical connection with one or more wires, portable computer diskette, hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read only “Plug-and-drop” such as memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, magnetic storage device, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, USB flash drive "Play" memory device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium is any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with a system, apparatus or device that executes instructions. be able to.

  Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be any suitable including, but not limited to, wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, RF, etc. or any suitable combination of the foregoing. It can be transmitted using a medium.

  Computer program code for performing the operations for aspects of the present disclosure is conventional, such as an object-oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C ++, and the “C” programming language or similar programming language. It can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including procedural programming languages. The program code may be entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on the remote computer, or a remote computer or server The above can be performed entirely. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or (eg, an Internet service A connection can be made to an external computer (via the Internet using a provider).

  The flowcharts and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various systems and methods herein. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function (s). . It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions mentioned in the blocks may occur out of the order mentioned in the drawings. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order depending on the function in question. In addition, each block in the block diagram and / or flowchart diagram and the combination of blocks in the block diagram and / or flowchart diagram is based on a dedicated hardware-based system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs a specified function or operation. Note that it can be implemented.

  Note that the controller or processor used herein is configured to perform the system operations described below (ie, programmed to perform, configured to execute, etc.). It should be understood that it comprises a computerized device. According to the system and method herein, the controller comprises a programmable self-contained dedicated minicomputer having a central processing unit (CPU).

  A number of computerized devices are described above. Computerized devices including chip-based central processing units (CPUs), input / output devices (including graphic user interface (GUI), memory, comparators, processors, etc.) are well known, Dell Computer Corporation of Round Rock, Texas, USA Equipment manufactured by manufacturers such as Apple Computer Corporation of Cupertino, California, USA, is readily available. Such computerized devices typically include input / output devices, power supplies, processors, electronic storage memory, wiring, etc., the details of which will focus on the salient aspects of the devices described herein. Is omitted from here to allow. Similarly, scanners and other similar peripherals are available from Xerox Corporation of Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, and details of such devices are described herein for purposes of brevity and reader focus. Not explained in.

  As used herein, the term printer or printing device encompasses any device such as a digital copier, bookbinding machine, facsimile machine, multifunction device, etc. that performs a print output function for any purpose. Details of printers, print engines, etc. are well known by those skilled in the art and are not described in detail herein to maintain this disclosure focused on salient features. The systems and methods herein can include devices that print in color, monochrome, or process color or monochrome image data. All the systems and methods described above are specifically applicable to electrostatographic and / or electrophotographic apparatus and / or processes.

  The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular systems and methods and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, as used herein, the terms “comprising” and / or “comprising” are understood to identify the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, action, element, and / or component. Does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, actions, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

  Further, as used herein, “right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “upper”, “lower”, “upper”, “lower”, “lower”, “below”, Terms such as “below”, “above”, “above”, “parallel”, “vertical” are relative positions since they are oriented and illustrated in the drawings (unless otherwise noted) To be understood. Terms such as “contact”, “top”, “direct contact”, “abutment”, “directly adjacent”, etc. mean that at least one element is in contact with another element (without the other elements separating the described elements) Means physical contact. Furthermore, the term automation or automatically means that once a process begins (by a machine or user), one or more machines perform the process without further input from any user.

  The corresponding structure, material, operation and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the following claims are intended to perform functions in combination with other specifically claimed elements. Is intended to include any structure, material or operation. The descriptions of the various systems and methods of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the disclosed systems and methods. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described systems and methods. The terminology used herein is intended to best describe the principles of the systems and methods, practical or technical improvements to the technology found in the marketplace, or systems and methods disclosed by those skilled in the art. Selected to be able to understand.

Claims (10)

An image carrier for carrying an image for transfer to a substrate;
A supply mechanism for supplying the substrate to the image carrier;
Adjacent to the image carrier,
A transfer support blade movable between an active position for holding the substrate in contact with the image carrier and an inactive position in contact with the image carrier and not holding the substrate;
A transfer corotron located adjacent to the transfer support blade;
A debonding corotron located downstream from the transfer corotron in the processing direction, and a transfer support mechanism in which a distance between the transfer corotron and the debonding corotron defines a transfer zone;
A sensor that determines media properties of the substrate and generates a signal based on the media properties;
A controller that receives the signal from the sensor and directs movement of at least one of the transfer corotron and the debonding corotron that adjusts the spacing between the transfer corotron and the debonding corotron, and The debonding corotron at a first distance from the transfer corotron corresponds to a relatively maximum residence time for a relatively heavy substrate, and the debonding corotron at a second distance from the transfer corotron is a relatively light substrate. Wherein the second distance is less than the first distance, corresponding to a relatively short residence time for.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer corotron secured to a position adjacent to the transfer assist blade and the debonding corotron is movable between a first position and a second position.   The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second position of the detack corotron is a variable distance from the transfer corotron based on the media properties of the substrate.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer corotron is movable between a first position and a second position, and the detackifying corotron is fixed at a position downstream from the transfer corotron. A transfer assist mechanism comprising a transfer zone, wherein the transfer zone includes an image transfer device that defines a start of the transfer zone and a detackifying device that defines the end of the transfer zone, and the size of the transfer zone is adjusted A transfer assist mechanism, wherein the residence time of the substrate moving through the transfer zone is a function of the size of the transfer zone;
A sensor for determining media properties of the substrate moving in the processing direction through the transfer zone;
A controller connected to the transfer device and the detackifying device and receiving a characteristic signal from the sensor;
The controller determines an appropriate time for continuation of the substrate in the transfer zone based on the media properties of the substrate;
The apparatus, wherein the controller changes the spacing between the transfer device and the detackifier as a function of the media properties of the substrate to adjust the dwell time for the substrate.   The transfer support mechanism is further movable between an active position that holds the substrate in contact with the image carrier and an inactive position that does not hold the substrate in contact with the image carrier. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising:   The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transfer device is in a fixed position at the start of the transfer zone. Supplying a substrate to the image carrier;
Activating a transfer support mechanism comprising a transfer corotron and a decoating corotron;
Detecting the media properties of the substrate as the substrate is transported to the image carrier;
Determining a residence time of the substrate between the transfer corotron and the debonding corotron based on the media properties of the substrate;
Changing the residence time as a function of the media properties of the substrate by adjusting the distance between the transfer corotron and the debonding corotron.   The method of claim 8, further comprising moving the substrate in a process direction through a transfer zone including the transfer corotron and the detack corotron.   10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the transfer corotrons is in a fixed position that defines the start of the transfer zone and the detack corotron is in a fixed position that defines the end of the transfer zone.

Images