Patent ID: 8509661

Claim:
An electrophotographic printer, comprising: a) a rotatable transport web having a Young's modulus of at least 1 GPa and maintained under tension; b) a first transfer station adjacent to the transport web, the first transfer station including: i) a first rotatable image-bearing member around which the transport web is at least partially wrapped so that a first transfer region is defined in which toner is transferred from the first rotatable image-bearing member to a receiver sheet, the first rotatable image-bearing member having a compliant coating; ii) a first rotatable nip-forming member that is relatively stiffer than the first rotatable image-bearing member and is disposed adjacent to the transport web on the opposite side thereof from the first rotatable image-bearing member; and c) a second transfer station adjacent to the transport web downstream of the first transfer station, the second transfer station including: i) a second rotatable image-bearing member around which the transport web is at least partially wrapped so that a second transfer region is defined in which toner is transferred from the second rotatable image-bearing member to the receiver sheet, the second rotatable image-bearing member having a compliant coating; ii) a second compressible, rotatable nip-forming member that is relatively less stiff than the second rotatable image-bearing member and is disposed adjacent to the transport web on the opposite side thereof from the second rotatable image-bearing member; and iii) a mount arranged to cause the second compressible, rotatable nip-forming member to press the transport web towards the second rotatable image-bearing member, and adapted to permit an axis of rotation of the second compressible, rotatable nip-forming member to move closer to or farther from the transport web; iv) so that when a leading edge of the moving receiver sheet on the transport web engages with the second rotatable image-bearing member, the second compressible, rotatable nip-forming member compresses so that while the leading edge of the receiver sheet passes through the second transfer region, the axis of rotation of the second compressible, rotatable nip-forming member translates by an amount less than a thickness of the receiver sheet minus an amount of compression of the compliant coating of the second rotatable image-bearing member.