Patent ID: 8608307

Claim:
A transfix roller for use in an indirect printer having a thin wall image receiving member comprising: a shaft essentially comprised of a rigid material, the shaft having a first end and a second end that form a longitudinal axis for the shaft, a first portion of the shaft having a first radius extending from the longitudinal axis and the first portion being centrally positioned along the longitudinal axis of the shaft between the first and the second ends of the shaft and a remaining portion of the shaft has a radius that is less than the first radius of the shaft, the first radius extends perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis of the shaft to form a cylindrical first portion of the shaft having a first length that is less than a length of the shaft between the first and the second ends of the shaft, and the radius of the remaining portion extends perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis of the shaft to form a cylindrical first remaining portion between the cylindrical first portion and the first end of the shaft having a second length and to form a cylindrical second remaining portion between the first portion and the second end of the shaft having a third length, a sum of the second length and the third length being greater than the first length of the cylindrical first portion of the shaft; and a cylindrical sleeve mounted about the shaft, the cylindrical sleeve having an inner radius that is configured to provide an interference fit about the first portion of the shaft to enable the first portion of the shaft to support a first portion of the cylindrical sleeve and to enable a second portion of the cylindrical sleeve to deform in a direction towards the remaining portion of the shaft.