Granted Patent B2

US 7,970,316 · App. 12/127,897 · Granted Jun 28, 2011

Abstract

Claims (38)

1. A method for processing a media sheet by advancing the media sheet through a nip in a media processing device, the nip capable of being configured by abuttingly coupling a heater device to a pressure roller, the method comprising:

determining a first value of the heater device temperature of the heater device and a pressure roller temperature value of the pressure roller;

generating a signal for configuring the nip, wherein the signal is generated upon determining the first value of the heater device temperature and the pressure roller temperature value;

determining a second value of the heater device temperature of the heater device on generating the signal; and

verifying a closure of the nip for advancing the media sheet through the nip based on the first value of the heater device temperature, the second value of the heater device temperature and the pressure roller temperature value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising advancing the media sheet through the nip for processing the media sheet upon verifying the nip as closed.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an error message upon the verifying indicating the nip as failing to close.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching the media processing device to an operational mode prior to determining the first value of the heater device temperature.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second value of the heater device temperature is determined on occurrence of a predefined time interval after determining the first value of the heater device temperature.

6. A method of claim 1 wherein the closure of the nip is verified based on

a temperature difference between the first value of the heater device temperature and the second value of the heater device temperature, and,

the pressure roller temperature value.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the nip is verified as closed based on one of whether the pressure roller temperature value is less than or equal to a first threshold value and the temperature difference is greater than a second threshold value, and, whether the pressure roller temperature value is greater than the first threshold value and the temperature difference is greater than a third threshold value, is satisfied.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the nip is verified as open based on one of whether the pressure roller temperature value is less than or equal to the first threshold value and the temperature difference is less than the second threshold value and whether the pressure roller temperature value is greater than the first threshold value and the temperature difference is less than the third threshold value, is satisfied.

9. A method for fusing toner particles onto a media sheet by advancing the media sheet through a fuser nip in a media processing device, the fuser nip capable of being configured by abuttingly coupling a heater device to a pressure roller, the method comprising:

determining a first value of the heater device temperature of the heater device and a pressure roller temperature value of the pressure roller;

generating a signal for configuring the fuser nip, wherein the signal is generated upon determining the first value of the heater device temperature and the pressure roller temperature value;

determining a second value of the heater device temperature of the heater device on generating the signal; and

verifying a closure of the fuser nip for advancing the media sheet through the fuser nip based on the first value of the heater device temperature, the second value of the heater device temperature and the pressure roller temperature value.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising advancing the media sheet through the fuser nip for fusing the toner particles onto the media sheet upon verifying the fuser nip as closed.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising generating an error message upon the verifying indicating the fuser nip as failing to close.

12. A method of claim 9 wherein the closure of the fuser nip is verified based on

a temperature difference between the first value of the heater device temperature and the second value of the heater device temperature, and,

the pressure roller temperature value.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the fuser nip is verified as closed based on one of whether the pressure roller temperature value is less than or equal to a first threshold value and the temperature difference is greater than a second threshold value and whether the pressure roller temperature value is greater than the first threshold value and the temperature difference is greater than a third threshold value, is satisfied.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the fuser nip is verified as open based on one of whether the pressure roller temperature value is less than or equal to the first threshold value and the temperature difference is less than the second threshold value, and, whether the pressure roller temperature value is greater than the first threshold value and the temperature difference is less than the third threshold value, is satisfied.

15. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium for processing a media sheet by advancing the media sheet through a nip in a media processing device, the nip capable of being configured by abuttingly coupling a heater device to a pressure roller, the computer program product comprising a program module having instructions for:

determining a first value of the heater device temperature of the heater device and a pressure roller temperature value of the pressure roller;

generating a signal for configuring the nip, wherein the signal is generated based upon determining the first value of the heater device temperature and the pressure roller temperature value;

determining a second value of the heater device temperature of the heater device on generating the signal; and

verifying a closure of the nip for advancing the media sheet through the nip based on the first value of the heater device temperature, the second value of the heater device temperature and the pressure roller temperature value.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the program module further comprises instructions for advancing the media sheet through the nip for processing the media sheet upon verifying the nip as closed.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the program module further comprises instructions for generating an error message upon the verifying indicating the nip as failing to close.

18. The computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the instructions for verifying the closure of the nip comprises instructions for verifying the closure of the nip based on

a temperature difference between the first value of the heater device temperature and the second value of the heater device temperature, and,

the pressure roller temperature value.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18 wherein the instructions for verifying the closure of the nip comprises instructions for verifying the nip as closed based on one of whether the pressure roller temperature value is less than or equal to a first threshold value and the temperature difference is greater than a second threshold value, and, whether the pressure roller temperature value is greater than the first threshold value and the temperature difference is greater than a third threshold value, is satisfied.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19 wherein the instructions for verifying the closure of the nip comprises instructions for verifying the nip as open based on one of whether the pressure roller temperature value is less than or equal to the first threshold value and the temperature difference is less than the second threshold value, and, whether the pressure roller temperature value is greater than the first threshold value and the temperature difference is less than the third threshold value, is satisfied.

Assignments (8)