Glenn Barry Ingram

US Patent:

54595614, Oct 17, 1995

Filed:

Apr 11, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/418924

Inventors:

Glenn B. Ingram - Boise ID

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Company - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G03G 1520

US Classification:

355286

Abstract:

A method and apparatus in electrophotographic printing for fusing a toner image onto or into a print medium. A high energy laser beam is projected onto a toner image on a print medium for softening or fusing the toner. Pressure is then applied to the toner against the print medium to permanently fix the toner image onto or into the print medium as a printed image. The high energy laser beam for softening or fusing the toner is synchronized in scan frequency, either at the scan frequency or a whole multiple of the scan frequency, with the low energy image modulated laser beam which scans to photoconductive drum, being reflected from selected facets of a common scanner, or from a selected facet of each of a pair of relatively angularly displaced interconnected scanners.

US Patent:

55416365, Jul 30, 1996

Filed:

Jun 2, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/253050

Inventors:

Glenn B. Ingram - Boise ID

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Company - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

B41J 2900

US Classification:

347212

Abstract:

A thermal apparatus for fusing print dye onto print media in a hard copy machine is disclosed. A medium bearing a "wet" image, such as text or graphics in ink or toner, is fed by the machine into the apparatus. Sensing the presence of the medium, the heater element(s) of the apparatus are activated. As the medium is fed into the apparatus, the toner or ink is at least partially fixed to the medium prior to its leading edge reaching transport rollers of the apparatus which grab the medium in a nip to continue its path through and out of the apparatus. The heater element(s) are turned off when the trailing edge of the medium is sensed. The heater is a laminated device. Grooves are provided on the face of the heater proximate the medium path in order to improve heat transfer from the device to fix the image.