Patent ID: 7676187

Claim:
A xerographic device adapted to print images onto copy sheets, comprising: a fuser for fusing the images onto the copy sheets, the fuser including a fuser member and a pressure member that form a nip therebetween through which the copy sheets are conveyed in order to permanently fuse the images onto each of the copy sheets; an air knife spaced from the fuser and including a series of jets positioned to apply pressured air to an outer surface of the fuser member to assist in peeling the copy sheets from the outer surface of the fuser member; and an air baffle system for maintaining temperature consistency of the fuser member by obstructing airflow extending over a major portion of the space between the air knife and the fuser member in order to block most all flow of air from behind the jets of the air knife and in between the fuser member and air knife and thereby diminish energy waste and image gloss nonuniformity effects due to entrained air cooling the fuser member.