Image forming apparatus and method for producing high gloss duplex images
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for producing duplex multicolor images on a receiving sheet, said method comprising:
- forming a first multicolor toner image on a first side of the receiving sheet,passing the receiving sheet through a fusing nip formed by a heated fusing roller which contacts the first multicolor toner image and a pressure roller, which pressure roller has an outer surface formed by a layer of elastomeric material having a shore Å
durometer less than 40 and a roughness average less than 40 microinches,then forming a second multicolor image on a second side of the receiving sheet, andfusing the second multicolor image by passing the receiving sheet through the fusing nip with the second multicolor image contacting the fusing roller and the first multicolor image contacting the pressure roller.
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Abstract
High gloss is provided for multicolor images formed on opposite sides of a receiving sheet in a double pass system using a fuser having a smooth, soft pressure roller surface. Preferably, a thin elastomeric outer layer on the pressure roller has a shore Å durometer less than 40 and a roughness average less than 40 microinches. When a second multicolor image is fused to a receiving sheet by contact with a fusing roller, the gloss of a first multicolor image on the opposite side of the receiving sheet that has already been fused is not reduced by contact with the pressure roller, but is, in fact, enhanced.
63 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for producing duplex multicolor images on a receiving sheet, said method comprising:
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forming a first multicolor toner image on a first side of the receiving sheet, passing the receiving sheet through a fusing nip formed by a heated fusing roller which contacts the first multicolor toner image and a pressure roller, which pressure roller has an outer surface formed by a layer of elastomeric material having a shore Å
durometer less than 40 and a roughness average less than 40 microinches,then forming a second multicolor image on a second side of the receiving sheet, and fusing the second multicolor image by passing the receiving sheet through the fusing nip with the second multicolor image contacting the fusing roller and the first multicolor image contacting the pressure roller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A pressure roller usable in a fuser, said pressure roller comprising:
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a metallic core, an elastomeric inner layer, and an elastomeric outer layer, the elastomeric inner layer being substantially thicker and harder than the elastomeric outer layer and the elastomeric outer layer having a shore Å
durometer less than 40 and a surface roughness average of less than 40 microinches. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. Image forming apparatus for producing duplex images on a receiving sheet, said apparatus comprising:
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means for forming a toner image on one side of the receiving sheet, a fuser having a fusing roller and a pressure roller positioned to form a fusing nip, said pressure roller having an outside surface formed by an elastomeric layer having a shore Å
durometer less than 40 and a surface roughness average less than 40 microinches peak-to-valley,means for feeding a receiving sheet having said first toner image on its first side from said image forming means to said fusing nip with the first image in contact with said fusing roller, means for circulating the receiving sheet from said fuser back to said forming means to receive a second image on the second side of the receiving sheet, and means for feeding said receiving sheet having both said first and second toner images on said first and second sides, respectively, from said forming means into said fusing nip with the second image in contact with said fusing roller and the first image in contact with the pressure roller. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification