Patent ID: 9170518
Filing Date: 2015-10-27
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A method of marking an image on a substrate using an image transfer printing apparatus including a photoreceptor surface; an exposure station operatively associated with the photoreceptor surface; a developer system operatively associated with the photoreceptor surface; and a substrate; an image transfer nip operatively associated with transferring an image from the photoreceptor surface to the substrate, the method comprising: a) forming an electrostatic image on the photoreceptor surface representative of the image to be marked on the substrate using the exposure system; b) developing the electrostatic image on the photoreceptor surface with toner material using the developer system to generate a developed image; and c) transferring the developed image from the photoreceptor surface to the substrate by electrically biasing the image transfer nip using a standard operating voltage to generate an image transfer field across the image transfer nip and applying two or more standard operating mechanical forces to the image transfer nip to control a spatial uniformity associated with the image transfer nip, the two or more standard operating mechanical forces determined by executing a closed-loop control system during a test mode configured to generate a transfer field uniformity map associated with the image transfer nip to determine the two or more standard operating mechanical forces required to generate a substantially uniform image transfer field across the image transfer nip, wherein the closed-loop control system is configured to generate the transfer field uniformity map using a test mode two or more mechanical forces by sensing the uniformity of the image transfer field while electrically biasing the image transfer nip using a test mode voltage which is lower than the standard operating voltage, comparing the generated transfer field uniformity map to a predetermined transfer field uniformity standard and adjusting one or more of the test mode two or more mechanical forces to provide a more uniform image nip width if the transfer field uniformity map represents a uniformity less than the transfer field uniformity standard, the adjusted test mode two or more mechanical forces providing the two or more standard operating mechanical forces.