Roller separator for printers

Abstract

Rollers or drums of a printer may be separated to prevent damage from continued contact, for example, during shipping. In some embodiments, operation of at least one of the rollers or drums during normal printer operation de-activates the separator. For example, the separator may rotate from a first position, in which it maintains a separation, to a second inactive position where the separator allows the two components to contact for a normal operation.

1 . A method comprising: 
 separating two printer elements prior to operation of the printer; and    automatically contacting said elements in response to printer operation.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  including using a separator to separate first and second printer elements, said separator including a first section to engage said first printer element and a second section to disengage said first printer element, a distance from the center of an axle of a second printer element to the first section is greater than the radius of the second printer element and a distance from the center of the axle to the second section is less than the radius of the first printer element.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  including providing a handle on said separator.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  including providing a finger-shaped protrusion to arrest the rotation of said separator.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  including providing a separator which is mounted on the axle of one of said elements and which engages the other of said elements to maintain a separation between said elements.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  including separating a fixed roller and a movable roller.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  including separating a photoconductive drum from a roller.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  including separating a photoconductive drum from a charge roll.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  including providing a separator which is movable between an active separating orientation and a de-active non-separating orientation.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  including providing a separator which is rotatable between said orientations.  
   
   
       11 . A separator for a printer comprising: 
 a first portion mountable on an axle of a first rotatable printer element;    a second portion to abut against the surface of a second rotatable printer element, said second portion including a first section and a second section, a distance from the center of an axle of a first printer element to the first section is greater than the radius of the first printer element and a distance from the center of the axle to the second section is less than the radius of the first printer element, enabling said separator to rotate around said axle when the printer element, abutted against said second portion, rotates, to remove the separation between said elements.    
   
   
       12 . The separator of  claim 11  including a finger-shaped portion coupled to said first portion and forming a free end of said separator.  
   
   
       13 . The separator of  claim 12  including a handle coupled to said separator.  
   
   
       14 . The separator of  claim 11  wherein said separator is rotatable between a first position separating the printer elements and a second position allowing the printer elements to contact.  
   
   
       15 . A printer comprising: 
 a fixed roller;    a movable roller; and    a separator between said fixed and movable rollers to separate said fixed roller from said movable roller prior to operation of said printer, and upon operation of the printer to automatically allow said rollers to contact each other.    
   
   
       16 . The printer of  claim 15  wherein said separator to rotate from a first orientation, separating said rollers, to a second orientation in response to operation of at least one of said rollers.  
   
   
       17 . The printer of  claim 15  wherein said fixed roller is a photoconductive drum.  
   
   
       18 . The printer of  claim 17  wherein said movable roller is a charge roll.  
   
   
       19 . The printer of  claim 15  wherein said printer is an electrophotographic printer.  
   
   
       20 . The printer of  claim 15  wherein one of said rollers includes an axle, said separator to rotatably mount on said axle to rotate between a first position maintaining the separation between said rollers and a second position allowing said rollers to contact.