(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 7,283,777 B2 Russel Et Al
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US007283777B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 7,283,777 B2 Russel et al. (45) Date of Patent: Oct. 16, 2007 (54) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR (58) Field of Classi?cation Search .............. .. 399/323, CHARACTERIZING FUSER STRIPPING 399/33, 315, 21, 324, 322 PERFORMANCE See application ?le for complete search history. (75) Inventors: Steven M. Russel, Pittsford, NY (US); (56) References Cited Mansour Messalti, Sherwood, OR U. S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (US); Jeremy Christopher deJong, Orchard Park, NY (US); Anthony S. 4,952,982 A * 8/1990 Tabuchi ....... .. 399/22 Condello, Webster, NY (US); Daniel 5,282,009 A * l/l994 Derimiggio 399/46 James McVeigh, Webster, NY (US); 5,406,363 A * 4/1995 Siegel et a1. .............. .. 399/323 Donald M. Bott, Rochester, NY (US); 6,795,677 B2 9/2004 Berkes et a1. James Joseph Padula, Webster, NY * cited by examiner (Us) Primary ExamineriDavid M. Gray (73) Assignee: Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT Assistant Examiner4Geoifrey T Evans (Us) (74) Attorney, Agent, or FirmiDuane C. Basch; Basch & Nickerson LLP ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (57) ABSTRACT U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. Disclosed herein are several embodiments to facilitate the (21) Appl. No.: 11/343,672 characterization of fuser stripping performance. Recogniz ing that the characteristics of a substrate exiting a fusing nip (22) Filed: Jan. 31, 2006 are indicative of the operation of the nip and the stripping operation itself, several contact and non-contact sensing (65) Prior Publication Data methods are described to detect or predict degraded strip US 2007/0177913 A1 Aug. 2, 2007 ping performance, thereby permitting one or more compen sation techniques to be employed, or to identify the need for (51) Int. Cl. fuser subsystem replacement. G03G 15/20 (2006.01) (52) US. Cl. ..................... .. 399/322; 399/323; 399/324 5 Claims, 14 Drawing Sheets ADJUSTED FUSING CONTROLLER OR IMAGING PARAMETERS U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 1 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 FIG. 1A FIG. 1 B U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 2 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 u, 100 g HT: ACL60% Cl 0t Tm tEOXG ppm ama em n s “00cmootmamco_m‘_m>c_ " 987654321 75 H 0000000000 __________ 2 10 12 10 75 200 225 250 275 300 Fuser Member Age (K prints) FIG. 2 U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 4 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 332 \ CX (Accelerated Test) FIG. 3B U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 5 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 Lead Edge X(Distance) Y(mm) 20 mm -4.0 36 mm -43. 52 mm 2.7 68 mm 3.8 84 mm 3.3 100 mm - 3.0 ACCENT OPAQUE U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 7 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 ADJUSTED FUSING CONTROLLER OR IMAGING PARAMETERS 15 I’ LEAD EDGE Paper Lead Edge Path Inets 10 _ In The Fuser Post N1p PAPER 220 Region Prior To HEIGHT 5 _ Jam Sensor (mm) 210~\ 0 I l I I I I I 0 10 20 30 40 5O 60 70 DISTANCE FROM FUSING NIP (mm) FIG. 6 U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 8 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 Sheet Before Unknown Mis-strip Cause Mis-strip 6.2x&m2; SHEET NUMBER (x103) FIG. 7 40 0.9 mm LE 35 2.5 mm LE m 5.8 mm LE _ _ _ _ _ i i $63ozae?w Team6:95u 322 050 11 5050 0 PSI 10 PSI 20 PSI FIG. 8 U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 9 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 2232966622i"Mama8ESI §guanoEgo/‘36$5Ewm E28223368EE8 U329331.203o?5% | £56m58v>>z8Emu 0mmmmm oom wt05m22:E w0<E55v;59EmwmEwE om mm .OEm on mm om m? or AIR KNIFE PRESSURE TO STRIP (PSI) U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 12 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 _ _ L, _ L _ |L|L|L|Li|+|L|1TL||+ hum?omuc? _i:5 EmzmmmmwcosmosmHE LILILILlTIIEFLI#IL1 _i1+JT+I+ PAPER IMPACT FORCE (N) U.S. Patent 0a. 16, 2007 Sheet 13 0f 14 US 7,283,777 B2 mgmowaw r “I“ . _ kRF. o0t .mT 53S1 a0O .n 0 .mDr.MW e.T.t ‘S.S A I0. W~|‘-H[ M L 2L|.'A m"II.0. .7 0.1 H 0 r5. 1. I0. 1 |5. 2 5.| \ 3. 3.5 TIME (seconds) FIG. 14 :50 4——— 6 ———— Full Area Covera ge a . |'\_ 60 / Fails to Strip at Opsi (D an 1. 4!__ 2 3 4 5 FUSER MEMBER AGE (K prints) FIG. 15 US 7,283,777 B2 1 2 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR forces and post-fuser paper trajectories, leading toWard CHARACTERIZING FUSER STRIPPING prediction of fuser roll life and Warning of imminent strip PERFORMANCE ping failures. A sensor based control system, like that disclosed herein, Would be able to monitor stripping perfor A system and method are described to improve the mance and engage stripping facilitators in a ‘smart’ manner. characterization of fuser stripping performance, and more In xerographic production printing systems, such as the particularly one or more alternative sensing methods are Xerox iGen production printer, fusing architectures often employed to detect or predict degraded stripping perfor employ sensors that straddle the fusing nipia paper mance permitting use of a compensation technique to be entrance sensor and paper exit sensor. The knoWn use of employed, or to identify the need for fuser subsystem such sensors has been for jam detection, but it is presently replacement. recognized that such sensors can also be used for other purposes, such as timing of sheet passage through the fuser. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY For example, When the stripping subsystem is operating optimally, paper takes the shortest path betWeen the tWo Lightweight paper stripping from a fuser roll is a recur sensors, and thus the shortest time. As stripping performance ring mode of failure in most fusing subsystems. Instead of degrades, hoWever, the paper releases from the fusing roll at the paper exiting the fusing subsystem it remains attached to angles further and further from the centerline of the nip. This the fuser roll, and results in a machine/roll failure. Many action likely generates paper pathlines that are no longer a devices are currently in use to extend fuser roll life and straight line, but instead folloW curved trajectories from the facilitate lightWeight paper stripping, including creep-based 20 paper release point until the acquisition by the exit transport. nip-forming fuser rolls (as described in US. Pat. No. 6,795, The longer the pathline, the greater the time betWeen the 677 to Berkes et al. for High Speed Heat and Pressure Belt sensors detection of the paper. As described in more detail Fuser, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety), beloW, this is one method of monitoring the stripping stripping ?ngers, oiling subsystems and air knives. All of performance of the system, either to provide early Warning these devices are so called ‘dumb’ systems, operating in a 25 of failure, or to adjust a stripping facilitator. standalone manner. A di?iculty also exists in quantitatively predicting strip US. Pat. No. 5,406,363 to Siegel et al. for a “PREDIC ping performance of a color fuser, either initially or With TIVE FUSER MISSTRIP AVOIDANCE SYSTEM AND degradation over the fuser’s life, and of stripping life, either METHOD,” discloses the use of feed-forWard information by print number or time. Hence, it is not unusual to observe (e. g., paper Weight, image type, humidity, etc.) to predict the 30 order-of-magnitude differences in chemical release life and likelihood of fuser mis-strips and also claims compensation stripping life for fusers and their components. Moreover, techniquesifor example, increasing oil rate or increasing expectations are loW that a purely feed-forward solution can stripping force (air knife pressure or contact force)ithat can be achieved for most color fusers (albeit acknoWledging that be employed to reduce the number of failures. B/W systems might be substantially better behaved). Fuser stripping failures are signi?cant because, ?rst of all, 35 The systems and methods disclosed herein are part of a any stripping failure requires the customer to open the fuser technique or strategy surrounding the use of in-line stripping to remove jammed paper. This paper, Which can contain sensors doWnstream of a fuser, combined With potential un-fused toner, is often Wrapped around extremely hot feedback control of various fuser/imaging parameters. surfaces and pinched betWeen high-pressure nips, making Accordingly, another embodiment is directed to the use of removal dif?cult. Second, stripping failures can signi?cantly 40 post-fuser exit paper-path components, such as a dedicated reduce the life of the fuser itself. In a contact-stripping ?nger or existing ba?le, out?tted With multiple strain system, high forces produced by a stripping failure often gauges. When used With diagnostic techniques described permanently damage the fusing member (e.g.: stripper herein, such an embodiment can unobtrusively measure both ?nger gouging of roll surface). In non-contact stripping the paper stripping forces and the paper exit trajectory, in systems mis-strips result in extended contact times betWeen 45 contact or non-contact stripping systems. the reactive toner and the reactive fusing surface, often Detecting or sensing characteristics of the paper exit dramatically decreasing the chemical release life of these trajectory alloWs one to monitor fuser roll stripping perfor systems. Avoiding stripping failures requires aggressive mance and predict imminent fuser roll failure.