Patent ID: 7386264

Claim:
A system for fusing an unfixed toner image to a substrate comprising: a rotatable hot fusing roll; and a backup belt assembly comprising a backup belt and a housing structure including a nip forming pressure roll and a support element, said backup belt being wrapped about said housing structure including said nip forming pressure roll and said support element, wherein only said pressure roll applies a force to said belt so as to form a sole nip region where said rotatable fusing roll makes contact with said backup belt, said support element being positioned upstream of said nip region and supporting said belt without increasing a length of said nip region in a process direction and located so as to position at least a portion of said belt extending between said pressure roll and said support element near said hot roll so as to define a preheat zone, wherein a center axis of each of said hot roll and said pressure roll are positioned in generally a same first plane and a second plane extends generally perpendicular to said first plane and passes through said nip region, said support element is incapable of being positioned such that the second plane extends through a center portion of said support element.