Patent ID: 7580664

Claim:
A fuser stripping method for use with a fusing system having a fuser roll and a back-up roll positioned to form a nip, comprising: (A) determining whether said method is to be performed in one of a first mode and a second mode; (B) performing the following when it is determined, with said (A), that said method is to be performed in said first mode: (1) providing a movable stripping assembly selectively positioned adjacent one of the fuser roll and back-up roll, said movable stripping assembly including at least one stripper finger for causing a print media sheet, having a toned image section disposed thereon, to be stripped from one of the fuser roll or back-up roll as the print media sheet with the toned image section passes through the nip, (2) selectively positioning the at least one stripper finger in a first position, (3) determining a shift distance between the first position and a second position, the second position corresponding substantially with a location of the toned image section as the print media sheet passes through the nip, and (4) if a selected condition is met, moving the movable stripping assembly from the first position to the second position so that the at least one stripper finger is aligned with the toned image section; and (C) performing the following when it is determined, with said (A), that said method is to be performed in said second mode: (1) storing an electronic document including an electronic page, the electronic page corresponding with the print media sheet and including image information corresponding with the toned image section, (2) prior to imaging the print media sheet with the image information, determining a positional relationship between at least one of the set of stripper fingers and the image information on the electronic page, (3) when the positional relationship varies from an accepted positional relationship by a selected amount, determining an amount of print media sheet shift required to obtain the positional relationship, and (4) shifting the print media sheet with the at least one toned image section relative to the set of stripper fingers, said shifting causing the toned image section to be positioned in substantial alignment with the at least one of the set of stripper fingers as the print media sheet is fed through the nip so that the at least one of the set of stripper fingers is lubricated by contact with the at least one toned image section.