Chilled finish roller system and method

• US 20070280758A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Chowdry, Arun, Bobo, Robert D., Hurst, James H., Stelter, Eric C., Aslam, Muhammed, Ciaschi, Andrew, Tyagi, Dinesh
• Application Number:
  US11/445,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20070280758A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/336
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/20 for fixing, e.g. by using heat
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2007 using radiant heat, e.g. infrared lamps, microwave heaters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2021 Plurality of separate fixing and/or cooling areas or units, two step fixing
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2098 using light, e.g. UV photohardening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6573 Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00805 Gloss adding or lowering device
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0081 Gloss level being selectable
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/0821 characterised by physical parameters magnetic parameters G03G9/083
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08782 Waxes
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08795 characterised by their chemical properties, e.g. acidity, molecular weight, sensitivity to reactants
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 9/08797 characterised by their physical properties, e.g. viscosity, solubility, melting temperature, softening temperature, glass transition temperature

Abstract

An apparatus for fixing of toner onto a receiver, including: a non-contact fuser capable of fusing one or more layers of toner on a receiver such that one or more toner layers reach a fusing temperature above a glass transition temperature. The apparatus also includes one or more cooling finish rollers located downstream from the non-contact fuser to lower the toner temperature.

Claims

1. An apparatus for fixing of toner onto a receiver, comprising:

a. a non-contact fuser of one or more toner layers on the receiver wherein one or more toner layers reach a fusing temperature above a glass transition temperature; and

b. one or more cooling finish rollers located downstream the non-contact fuser to lower the toner temperature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the non-contact heating means from at least one of IR, microwave, hot air, flash fusing or UV radiation devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cooling finish rollers lower the toner temperature near or below the glass transition temperature such that the toner deposited on the receiver exhibits a sharp increase of the modulus of elasticity when it contacts the cooler rollers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a pressure controller in communication with the cooling finish rollers to control the pressure on the receiver as it passes the cooling finish rollers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cooling finish roller surface finish.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said cooling finish rollers cools said toner layer at a temperature of from about 150°

to about 80°

C.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a calendar upstream the cooling roller.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a time controller to control the cooling time or changing the dwell time.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a temperature controller for controlling the web temperature.

10. A method of printing and/or coating a receiver, in which at least one toner layer is transferred to the receiver and fixed on it such that the fixing, in the non-contact fuser, of the toner layer is controlled.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising fixing of the toner layer, in combination with a specific cooling rate (or change in temperature from the cooler rollers), controls the desired luster of the finished image on the receiver.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising fixing of the toner layer, in combination with the cooling roller surface finish and nip forming roller pressure controls the desired luster of the finished image on the receiver.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising cooling said cooling roller until said cooling roller achieves a predetermined temperature profile in space representing a predetermined fuser roller shape profile.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising a logic and control system to control the temperature profile of the cooling rollers.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising cooling said cooling roller until said cooling roller achieves a predetermined temperature profile in space representing a predetermined cooling roller shape profile.

16. The method of claim 10 which is capable of printing and/or coating a receiver, using a method which further comprises non-contact heating means from at least one of IR, microwave, hot air, flash fusing or UV radiation devices.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein said receiver sheet has at least one property, and further comprising said logic and control system adjusting said predetermined amount of time according to said at least one property.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising said logic and control system delaying the feeding of a first receiving sheet until said predetermined amount of time has passed.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein said cooling is accomplished by blowing gas onto the cooling roller.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein said cooling is accomplished by a heat sink roller in contact with said cooling roller.

21. A toner composition suitable for non-contact heating comprising:

a) a polymer binder of a number average molecular weight between 1000 and 20,000, and

b) crystalline rheology modifier capable of lowering the melt viscosity of the said polymer binder with a melting temperature in the range of 60 to 120 C.

22. Rheology modifier in claim 21, having a melting point in the range of 60 to 120 C.

23. Rheology modifier in claim 21, which is capable of lowering the melt viscosity as it is incorporated in the said binder.

24. Toner in claim 21, having the half-width of the melting transition less than 10 C.

25. Toner in claim 21 which has a melt viscosity in the range of 200 to 20,000 poise or more preferably between 400 and 2000 poise.