Toner image-fixing apparatus having air cooling device

Claim 1

Apparatus for fusing a toner image to a receiving sheet comprising: means for positioning the toner image between an image surface of the receiving sheet and a hard surface of a belt, web or sheet, means for heating or maintaining the toner image to at least its glass transition temperature, means for urging the image surface and hard surface together with sufficient pressure to fix the heated toner image to the receiving sheet, means for cooling the heated toner image below its glass transition temperature while the image surface and hard surface remain together, and means for separating the receiving sheet from the hard surface, characterized in that the means for cooling includes means for directing air at an outside surface of one of the belt, web, sheet or receiving sheet not contacting the heated toner image, said means including: wall means defining an air supply plenum or chamber, said wall means including a nozzle wall generally parallel to and spaced from said outside surface, and said wall means further defining an inlet for receiving air from an air supply, and a plurality of rows of nozzles extending toward said outside surface at least 1/4 inch from said nozzle wall, each nozzle defining an orifice from said air supply chamber directed generally perpendicular to and closely spaced from said outside surface.