US5006900A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Transfer apparatus having vacuum holes and method of making such apparatus
Assignee: Eastman Kodak Co
•
Filing: 1989-07-03
•
Granted: 1991-04-09
•
Expires: 2009-07-03
Abstract
Abstract A transfer apparatus includes a transfer member, for example, a transfer drum with a line of small closely spaced laser drilled vacuum holes to hold a receiving sheet to the drum surface. To maintain the continuity of a transfer field but be free from clogging, the holes are narrow near the surface of the drum but wider as they extend deeper in the drum. Conical holes are drilled in the drum by a laser. In one embodiment, a short focal length lens focuses a laser bear near the surface of the drum which beam spreads below the surface to form a conical hole.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard C. Baughman
- 👤 David J. Ellingham
- 👤 William Y. Fowlkes
- 👤 Bruce J. Rubin
- 👤 Frank S. Stepanik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 00:45
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/14; G03G15/16; G03G15/1665; G03G15/167; G03G15/1685; B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/0665; B23K26/36; B23K26/38; B23K26/382; B23K26/384; B23K26/40; B23K2101/00; B23K2101/34; B23K2101/35; B23K2103/00; B23K2103/30; B23K2103/42; B23K2103/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for transferring a toner image from an image-bearing member to a receiving sheet, said apparatus comprising: a transfer member having a surface and having vacuum opening means to said surface, means for applying a vacuum to said vacuum opening means to hold a receiving sheet on the surface of the transfer member, and means for creating an electric field urging a toner image toward a receiving sheet held on said surface, characterized in that said vacuum opening means include a line of closely spaced, laser drilled holes, said holes having a diameter at their narrowest point of 0.65 mm or less and being spaced to provide a concentration of at least 4 to a centimeter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for transferring a toner image from an image-bearing member to a receiving sheet, said apparatus comprising: a transfer member having a surface and having vacuum opening means to said surface, means for applying a vacuum to said vacuum opening means to hold a receiving sheet on the surface of the transfer member, and means for creating an electric field urging a toner image toward a receiving sheet held on said surface, characterized in that said vacuum opening means include a line of closely spaced, laser drilled holes, said holes having a diameter at their narrowest point of 0.65 mm or less and being spaced to provide a concentration of at least 4 to a centimeter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
102 words
Apparatus for transferring a toner image from an image-bearing member to a receiving sheet, said apparatus comprising: a transfer drum having a cylindrical outer surface and having vacuum opening means to said surface, means for applying a vacuum to said vacuum opening means to hold a receiving sheet on the surface of the transfer drum, and means associated with said outer surface for creating an electric field urging a toner image toward said receiving sheet, characterized in that said vacuum opening means include a plurality of laser drilled holes, each hole being narrow at said surface and wider deeper in the drum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
102 words
Apparatus for transferring a toner image from an image-bearing member to a receiving sheet, said apparatus comprising: a transfer drum having a cylindrical outer surface and having vacuum opening means to said surface, means for applying a vacuum to said vacuum opening means to hold a receiving sheet on the surface of the transfer drum, and means associated with said outer surface for creating an electric field urging a toner image toward said receiving sheet, characterized in that said vacuum opening means include a plurality of laser drilled holes, each hole being narrow at said surface and wider deeper in the drum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus for transferring a toner image from an image bearing member to a receiving sheet, said apparatus comprising: a transfer drum having an axis and having a cylindrical conductive outer surface defined by an outer layer of intermediate conductivity, disposed on a conductive metal core, and having vacuum opening means through said core and outer layer to said surface, means for applying a vacuum to said vacuum opening means to hold a receiving sheet on the surface of the transfer drum, and means for creating an electric field urging a toner image toward said receiving sheet, characterized in that said vacuum opening means include opening means in said core and a line of closely spaced, laser drilled holes through said outer layer, said holes communicating with said opening means in said core and being generally conical in shape being narrower adjacent the surface and wider at the interface between the outer layer and the opening means in the core.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
159 words
Apparatus for transferring a toner image from an image bearing member to a receiving sheet, said apparatus comprising: a transfer drum having an axis and having a cylindrical conductive outer surface defined by an outer layer of intermediate conductivity, disposed on a conductive metal core, and having vacuum opening means through said core and outer layer to said surface, means for applying a vacuum to said vacuum opening means to hold a receiving sheet on the surface of the transfer drum, and means for creating an electric field urging a toner image toward said receiving sheet, characterized in that said vacuum opening means include opening means in said core and a line of closely spaced, laser drilled holes through said outer layer, said holes communicating with said opening means in said core and being generally conical in shape being narrower adjacent the surface and wider at the interface between the outer layer and the opening means in the core.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the diameter of each hole at its narrowest point is less than 1 mm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the diameter of each hole at its narrowest point is 0.65 mm or less and the diameter of each hole at said interface is greater than one and one half times said diameter at the narrowest point.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said line of holes is substantially parallel to the axis of the drum and the holes are sufficiently closely spaced that they overlap each other at said interface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein there are at least four holes to a centimeter of said line.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein there are at least four holes to a centimeter of said line, and the diameter of each hole at its narrowest point is 0.65 mm or less.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus for forming multicolor toner images on a receiving sheet, said apparatus including means for forming a series of electrostatic images on an image bearing member, means for toning said electrostatic images with toners of different colors, apparatus for transferring a plurality of said images to a receiving sheet in registry with each other image, to form a multicolor image on said receiving sheet, wherein said transferring apparatus is constructed according to claim 1.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said transfer member is a transfer drum having at least two sets of vacuum holes formed in straight lines running parallel to its axis, one to hold the leading edge of each of two receiving sheets.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3633543A
Cited
US3781105A
Cited
US3832055A
Cited
US3900591A
Cited
US4080053A
Cited
US4408866A
Cited
US4403847A
Cited
US4724458A
Cited
US4740813A
Cited
US4712906A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-04-08 | 1994-10-08 | 1995-04-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-04-08 | 1998-10-08 | 1999-04-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-04-08 | 2002-10-08 | 2003-04-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |