Selective fusing apparatus

Claim 1

In an electrostatic reproduction machine in which a dry fusing device for fusing powder images onto copy sheets made of paper is accomplished by passing the sheet bearing the powder images through a nip defined by rotatable members which apply heat and pressure thereto an improved selective dry fusing apparatus comprising: a rigid core member made of material which is transparent to radiant energy, a source of radiation disposed in the interior of said core member transmitting radiant energy, a layer of elastomeric material which is transparent to radiant energy covering the surface of said rigid core member, reflector means positioned along the periphery of the elastomeric layer closely spaced thereto defining a heat transfer zone at which radiation is reflected onto the surface of the layer, tacking and detacking means positioned adjacent to the heat transfer zone to tack sheets with powder images contacting the surface of said elastomeric layer and detack sheets therefrom at the exit in the heat transfer zone, and pressure roll means positioned at the exit of the heat transfer zone in pressure contact with said elastomeric layer to provide controlled heat and pressure to the copy sheet exiting from the heat transfer zone whereby selective fusing of the powder images onto the copy sheet is effected to produce high quality copies.