FIG. 1a shows a prior art electrophotographic (EP) printer 10, such as the NexPress® 2100. The electrophotographic (EP) printer 10 includes five imaging units (also referred to as development stations or electrostatographic image-forming modules) 20C, 20M, 20Y, 20K, and 20X. These stations are generally arranged in tandem and are shown in FIG. 1a in a specific arrangement with cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and a fifth station in order. Each station includes elements that are similar from station to station and are shown in FIG. 1a to have similar referenced numerals with a suffix of C, M, Y, and K to refer to the station to which such element is respectively associated. Since each station is identical in construction, the specific elements specified herein are shown in FIG. 1a at one station only, but should be understood to apply in like manner to each station. Each station includes a primary image-forming member, for example, a drum or roller, 22. Each roller 22 has a respective photoconductive surface 24 having one or more layers upon which an image or a series of images is formed. To form a toned image, the outer surface of the rollers 22 are uniformly charged by a primary charger such as a corona charging device 26, or by any other suitable charger such as a roller charger, a brush charger, etc. The uniformly charged surface 24, is typically exposed by an image writer or exposure device 28, which is generally an LED or other electro-optical exposure device. Any alternative exposure device may be used, such as an optical exposure device to selectively alter the charge on the surface 24 of the roller 22. The exposure device 28 creates an electrostatic image that corresponds to an image to be reproduced or generated. This electrostatic image is developed by applying marking particles to the latent image on the photoconductive drum 22 by a toner developing station 30. Each toner development station 30 is associated with a particular type of toner marking particle and magnetic carrier particle, which is typically in a preferred toner concentration and is attracted by a certain voltage supplied by a power supply (not shown). The image is transferred onto a transfer drum 32. After the transfer is made from the photoconductive drum 22, the residual toner image is cleaned from the surface 24 of the drum 22 by a suitable cleaning device 34. The cleaning device 34 then prepares the surface 24 of the drum 22 for reuse to form subsequent toner images. The intermediate or transfer drum 32 likewise is coated by a transfer surface 36, which can include one or more layers. The intermediate transfer drums 32 are each cleaned by respective cleaning devices 44 to prepare the transfer drums for reuse.
The imaging units 20C, 20M, 20Y, 20K, and 20X generally are in contact with a transport device, such as the shown endless belt or web 38, which can include receiver members adhered thereto for receipt of the paper or other media 15 that is to receive the image. In the alternative, the belt or web provided should not be restricted to the belt or web shown in FIG. 1a since the image transfer can be made on any suitable surface capable of receiving paper or other media as it passes between the imaging units. The web 38 can also detachably retain the paper electrostatically or by mechanical devices such as grippers. Typically, receiver members are electrostatically adhered to belt 38 by the deposit of electrostatic charges from a charging device, such as, for example, by using a corona charger 40. A sheet of paper 15 is shown in FIG. 1a proceeding along the belt 38 through each of the five imaging stations.
As shown in FIG. 1a, the transfer drum 32 interacts with the paper 15 along the belt 38 to transfer the electrostatic image from the transfer surface 36 of the transfer drum 32. The paper 15 then proceeds in tandem order through each developing station. Once the paper 15 has passed through each imaging unit 20, the paper 15 proceeds to a detack charger 42 to deposit a neutralizing charge on the paper 15 to separate the paper 15 from the belt 38. The paper 15 proceeds past the detack charger 42 and is transported to a remote location for operator retrieval. The transfer of images in each imaging unit 20C, 20M, 20Y, 20K, and 20X are performed without the application of heat to negate any fusing or sintering of toner images transferred to the paper 15 until the paper 15 enters a fuser 44 downstream. The paper 15 utilized herein can vary substantially in thickness and it is contemplated that this paper should not be limiting in any manner. For example, the paper can be thin or thick, include various paper stocks, transparencies stock, plastic sheet materials, and foils.
Although not shown, appropriate sensors of any well-known type, such as mechanical, electrical, or optical sensors, for example, generally are utilized in the printer to provide control signals for the printer. Such sensors may be located along the paper travel path, including along the belt 38, between the paper supply, and through the imaging units and the fusing station. Additional sensors may be associated with the photoconductive drums, the intermediate drums, any transferring mechanisms, and any of the image processing stations. Accordingly, the sensors can be provided to detect the location of the paper through its travel path in relation to each of the imaging units and can transmit appropriate signals indicative of the paper location. Such signals are input into a logic and control unit (not shown), which can include a microprocessor. Based on such signals and on the microprocessor, the control unit can output signals to the printer to control the timing operations of the various development stations or imaging units to process images and to control a motor (not shown) that drives the various drums and belts.
An electrophotographic system may include a front-end station 150 that is coupled either by wired, or wireless, connection, to the electrophotographic (EP) printer 10. As seen in FIG. 1b, the front-end station 150 may include a scanner 152 having a scanning head 154 for scanning documents. In addition, the front end station has a personal computer or the like, including a display 156, a keyboard 158 and a pointing device, such as a mouse 160 or the like, to interface with an operator. The front-end station may be a unit that is separate and distinct form the electrophotographic (EP) printer, as shown in FIG. 1a, or it may be part stand-alone unit. Software in the front-end station allows one to receive and edit job tickets, print process information, print content information, and the like.
The present invention addresses the problem of how to apply a three-dimensional texture to an electrophotographic image using an electrophotographic (EP) printer.