Patent ID: 7630676

Claim:
A self-loading belt fusing apparatus comprising: (a) a frame; (b) a first rotatable roller having a first outer surface and a first mounted position on said frame; (c) a second rotatable roller having a second outer surface, and a second mounted position on said frame spaced from said first mounted position of said first rotatable roller, said second outer surface and said first outer surface being spaced a first dimension from each other and defining an operating gap therebetween; and (d) an endless resilient belt hoop having (i) an inner surface, (ii) an external surface, (iii) an unloaded external diameter, and (iv) a loaded external dimension that is less than said unloaded external diameter, said endless resilient belt hoop being pinched-loaded into said operating gap by said first outer surface of said first roller and said second outer surface of said second roller, said endless resilient belt hoop, as pinch-loaded, acting as a hoop compression spring and forming a self-loading fusing nip with at least one of said first roller and said second roller.