Patent ID: 8565657

Claim:
An apparatus for redistributing release agent on a fuser surface of an image forming device, the apparatus comprising: a fuser surface for contacting a sheet of media having an image formed thereon by the image forming device, the fuser surface moving in a traveling direction; a flexible blade for redistributing the release agent on the fuser surface from a first post-fusing distribution to a second distribution, the flexible blade contacting the release agent on the fuser surface at a contact area and pressing the release agent against the fuser surface to redistribute the release agent from the first post-fusing distribution to the second distribution; and a catch tray positioned below the flexible blade to catch release agent removed from the fuser surface by the flexible blade, wherein the flexible blade is adapted to redistribute the release agent such that the second distribution is more uniform across the fuser surface than the first post-fusing distribution, the flexible blade is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position during operation of the apparatus, and the contact area extends in a direction that is non-parallel to a transverse direction, the transverse direction being perpendicular to the traveling direction.