Patent ID: 6876832
Filing Date: 2005-04-05
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An improved fuser apparatus, comprising: a fuser roll and a pressure roll being rotatably mounted parallel to and in contact with each other to form a first nip through which a recording medium with a toner image thereon is passed to permanently fix the image thereto; a cleaning web system for cleaning the fuser roll, the cleaning web system including a web provided on a supply roll, a tension roll having a shaft with opposing ends, and a take up roll, the supply roll, tension roll, and take up roll all being mounted for rotation, said tension roll forming a second nip with the fuser roll, the web passing through the second nip to clean the fuser roll and the web portion used to clean the fuser roll being stored on the take up roll; a torsion spring mounted on at least one end of the tension roll shaft, the torsion spring gripping the tension roll shaft with sufficient frictional force to provide a range of torsional drag forces on the tension roll shaft to prevent rotation thereof during withdrawal of a recording medium from the first nip during a jam clearance in the fuser apparatus, thus preventing inadvertent spooling of web from the supply roll; and wherein the range of torsional drag forces by the torsion spring has a minimum drag force to prevent rotation of the tension roll during a jam clearance and a maximum drag force that is periodically overcome by the rotational force of the take up roll during normal operation of the fuser, so that the cleaning web is stepped from the supply roll onto the take up roll.