Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090041516 | FIXING DEVICE, MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR COMPONENT MEMBERS OF FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There are provided two members which respectively have a form of a cylindrical roller or an endless belt and which are put in pressure contact with each other so as to form a nip section for fixation. There is provided a heating source which heats at least one of the two members to fixing temperature. In an end section corresponding to a downstream side of a nip section with respect to a sheet conveyance direction, one member out of the two members is curved in a state of protruding toward the other member. The one member has a surface made of fluorine-based resin, and an arithmetic average roughness of the surface is in a range of 0.1 μm to 1.3 μm. | 02-12-2009 |
20110222894 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for fixing a toner image onto a recording sheet, the fixing device comprising: a fixing belt including, on an inner circumference side thereof, a resistance heating layer, extending over entire circumference of the fixing belt, operable to emit heat upon flowing of an electric current therethrough; a pressing member operable to press an outer circumference of the fixing belt to form a fixing nip therebetween so that, while the recording sheet passes through the fixing nip, the toner image is fixed onto the recording sheet; and a pair of power supply members arranged inside the fixing belt along the circumferential direction with a predetermined distance therebetween, the power supply members being in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the resistance heating layer in an electrically conductive state along a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction. | 09-15-2011 |
20110222932 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes: a heating rotary member having a heating layer generating heat upon current application; a pressurizing rotary member brought into pressure-contact with an outer circumferential surface of the heating rotary member to form fixing nip, through which a sheet on which unfixed toner image is formed passes for heat fixing; circular electrodes that are circumferentially formed at two respective positions sandwiching a sheet passing region therebetween, on the outer circumferential surface, and feed electrical power to the heating layer, the electrodes are each metallic and formed of at least two electrode layers including a first electrode layer layered directly on the heating layer and a second electrode layer as an outermost layer, linear expansion coefficient difference between the first layer and the heating layer is smaller than that between the second layer and the heating layer, and the second layer is more oxidation-resistant than the first layer. | 09-15-2011 |
20110293340 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image onto a recording sheet by causing the sheet to pass through a fixing nip. The fixing device includes: heat belt formed in an endless shape and provided with a resistance heat layer; first pressure member provided inside a running path of the heat belt; and second pressure member pressing the first pressure member from over the running path to form the fixing nip. At least one of the first and second pressure members is rotating body. The heat belt has a pressure-receiving area and two non-pressure areas. The pressure-receiving area receives pressures from both the first and second pressure members. The non-pressure areas have been arranged at outside of the pressure-receiving area in an axis direction of the rotating body. Two ring-like electrodes have been formed on circumferential surfaces of the non-pressure areas and are used to supply power to the resistance heat layer. | 12-01-2011 |
20110299900 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device thermally fixes an unfixed image on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip. The fixing device has: a heat-generating endless belt; a first pressure member inside a running path of the endless belt; a second pressure member pressing the endless belt against the first pressure member from outside the running path to form the fixing nip, and a pair of power feeders. The endless belt includes: a circumferential resistive heat layer that generates heat upon receiving electric current; and a first electrode and a second electrode flanking a sheet passing area of the circumferential surface of the endless belt. Each electrode is composed of a pair of electrode layers, one on the inner and another on the outer circumferential surface of the resistive heat layer. Each power feeder is in contact with both the electrode layers of a different electrode. | 12-08-2011 |
20110299901 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image formed on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip. The fixing device has: a heat-generating endless belt having, on a circumferential surface thereof, a sheet passing area through which the recording sheet passes; a first pressure member disposed inside a running path of the endless belt; and a second pressure member disposed to press the endless belt against the first pressure member from outside the running path to form the fixing nip. The endless belt includes: a resistive heat layer that generates heat upon receiving electric current; and a pair of electrode layers that receive electric current. The electrode layers flank the sheet passing area. The resistive heat layer is in contact with the electrode layers at a different one of end faces opposing each other in a width direction of the resistive heat layer. | 12-08-2011 |
20110299902 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image formed on a recording sheet by passing the recording sheet through a fixing nip. The fixing device has a heat-generating endless belt that includes: a resistive heat layer that generates heat upon receiving electric current; and a pair of electrode layers each disposed along a different one of widthwise edges of the heat-generating endless belt. The resistive heat layer has (i) reduced thickness portions each along a widthwise edge thereof and (ii) a middle portion between the reduced thickness portions. Each reduced thickness portion is thinner than the middle portion and connected to the middle portion with a wall surface upright in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the heat-generating endless belt to define a stair shape. Each electrode layer is disposed on the resistive heat layer to be in contact with a corresponding one of the wall surfaces. | 12-08-2011 |
20110299903 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Disclosed is a fixing device for thermally fixing an unfixed image onto the recording sheet, the fixing device comprising: a fixing belt; and a meander regulation member provided adjacent to an edge of the fixing belt in a width direction thereof, and operable to prevent meandering of the fixing belt, wherein the fixing belt includes: a resistive heat layer that is tubular and generates heat when an electric current is applied thereto; and first and second electrodes that are provided circumferentially on an outer circumferential surface of the resistive heat layer, and that receive and apply the electric current to the resistive heat layer, and the first electrode is provided closer to the meander regulation member than to the second electrode, and is at a distance from the edge of the fixing belt in the width direction thereof. | 12-08-2011 |
20120155912 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device for fixing an unfixed image formed on a sheet by passing the sheet through a fixing nip, the fixing device comprising: a pair of ring-shaped electrodes each disposed along a different one of edges of endless belt and flanking a sheet-passing region on an external circumferential surface of the belt; and a pair of power feeders each being in contact with a different one of the ring-shaped electrodes at a contact area and feeding power to a resistive heat layer included in the belt, at least one of the power feeders being located at a position upstream from the fixing nip in a rotation direction of the belt and allowing a portion of the belt between the fixing nip and the contact area to be in close contact with the first roller while the belt is being rotated. | 06-21-2012 |
20120219308 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device thermally fixes an unfixed image formed on a recording sheet that passes through a nip, the nip being formed by a pressing member pressing against a circumferential surface of a heating rotating body that includes a resistance heating layer. The fixing device includes a power supplier configured to supply power to the resistance heating layer, a driver configured to rotate the heating rotating body, a controller configured to control supply of the power by the power supplier, and an abnormal heat detector configured to detect whether abnormal heat occurs anywhere along an entire surface of a heat-producing region within the heating rotating body, detection being performed during rotation of the heating rotating body. The controller causes the power supplier to stop supplying power to the resistance heating layer when the abnormal heat detector detects abnormal heat. | 08-30-2012 |