Patent ID: 8022335
Filing Date: 2011-09-20
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A rapid warm-up and cool-down pressure roll assembly comprising: (a) a rotatable pressure roll including a cylindrical sleeve having an outer surface for contacting a surface of a sheet opposite to a surface of the sheet on which an image is formed, and an inner surface defining a hollow interior to said rotatable pressure roll, said cylindrical sleeve being made entirely of a heat conductive material; (b) a thermoelectric assembly sheet positioned within the hollow interior of the rotatable pressure roll, the thermoelectric assembly sheet having a Peltier effect device positioned within said hollow interior and having a cylindrical first substrate, a cylindrical second substrate opposite and spaced radially inward from said first substrate, an electric current flow path therethrough, and electric current input and output terminals associated with said electric current flow path, said first substrate facing said inner surface of said cylindrical sleeve, and said second substrate redefining said hollow interior, the thermoelectric assembly sheet having a plurality of pairs of a p-type semiconductor member and an n-type semiconductor member spaced apart from each other along an axis of rotation between the first substrate and the second substrate, the p-type semiconductor member and the n-type semiconductor member connected by an electrode, each pair of p-type semiconductor member and n-type semiconductor member connected to another pair of p-type semiconductor member and n-type semiconductor member along the axis of rotation by an electrode, the pairs of p-type semiconductor members and n-type semiconductor members coupled via the electric current input and output terminals to an electric current source; and (c) an electric current input switching device connected to said electric current input and output terminals to selectively reverse a direction of electric current flow through said electric current flow path, thereby reversing which of said first substrate and said second substrate of said Peltier effect device is hot and which is cold, and therefore selectively rapidly warming up and rapidly cooling down said cylindrical sleeve of said pressure roll by said Peltier effect device, wherein the first substrate of the thermoelectric assembly sheet is positioned spaced from the inner surface of the cylindrical sleeve such that said inner surface of said cylindrical sleeve is movable relative to said Peltier effect device as positioned within said hollow interior and the electric current input and output terminals do not move relative to said Peltier effect device as positioned within said hollow interior.