System, method and print cartridge for signaling user replacement of fuser wiper

• US 7,463,836 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Samuels, Louann Behymer, Schoedinger, Kevin Dean, Able, Douglas Anthony, Richardson, William Keith, Bischel, Patrick O., Barnes, Thomas Neal, Tigges, Gregory Scott, Brown, Rickey Carter
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray; David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackshire; David A
• Application Number:
  US11/133,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20060263105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 399/24, 399/12, 399/33
• US Class Current: 399/24
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/20 Details of the fixing device or porcess

Abstract

A printing device (10) such as a laser printer includes a fuser assembly (200) with a fuser wiper (210) that can be removed and replaced by a user during normal maintenance to extend the useful life of the fuser assembly (200). Indicators (b0, b1) stored in a memory device (144) can be read by a print engine (36) of a printer (10) either when a print cartridge (100) is first inserted into the printer (10) or at specified times thereafter. Depending on the contents of the memory device (144), the print engine (36) may send a notification message to the printer'"'"'s raster image processor (150) to cause a message to be displayed on the printer'"'"'s operational/display panel (254) that informs a user the fuser wiper (210) should be replaced.

Claims

1. A method of signaling user replacement of a fuser wiper within a printer that prints using a toner cartridge having a memory device, the method comprising the steps of:

storing information pertaining to specified points when said fuser wiper should be replaced in said memory device;

a print engine of the printer retrieving said information from said memory device;

printer logic causing a notification message to be generated based on said information stored on said toner cartridge, said notification message indicating to a user that said fuser wiper should be replaced; and

determining when said notification message should be generated as a function of a specified interval necessary for fuser wiper replacement,

wherein said specified interval is related to a variable selected from the group consisting of;

the amount of toner remaining in said toner cartridge, the type of media utilized, and a type of said toner cartridge.

2. A image forming system supporting a signaling function for notifying user replacement of a fuser wiper within a printer comprising:

a print cartridge;

a fuser assembly for receiving media upon which toner from said print cartridge has been deposited, said fuser assembly including a fuser wiper;

a memory device for storing print related information;

a print engine communicably coupled to said print cartridge; and

process logic for causing said print engine to read said information from said memory device and for generating a notification message to a user indicating the fuser wiper should be replaced at some specified point in the print cartridge'"'"'s life,

wherein said process logic determines whether said print cartridge supports a replace fuser wiper message function.

3. An image forming system supporting a signaling function for notifying user replacement of a fuser wiper within a printer, comprising:

a toner cartridge having a memory device storing information pertaining to specified points when said fuser wiper should be replaced;

a fuser assembly for receiving media upon which toner from said toner cartridge has been deposited, said fuser assembly including said fuser wiper;

a print engine communicably coupled to said toner cartridge;

process logic for causing said print engine to read said information from said memory device and for generating a notification message to a user indicating the fuser wiper should be replaced; and

a display operably coupled to said process logic and adapted for graphically displaying said notification message to a user,

wherein said process logic determines the appropriate time for generating a notification message as a function of specified intervals necessary for fuser wiper replacement, and

wherein said specified intervals are related to a variable selected from the group consisting of;

the amount of toner remaining in a toner cartridge, the type of media utilized, and the type of toner cartridge.