Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080224385 | Feeding device and image forming apparatus - A sheet discharge roller has a contact portion in contact with a feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The sheet discharge roller includes a kick-out unit having a projected portion and a recess portion on one end of the noncontact portion in the circumferential direction. A reverse roller also has a contact portion in contact with the feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The reverse roller includes a large-diameter portion on its one end in a direction opposite to a direction of the kick-out unit. The large-diameter portion has a diameter larger than a diameter of the contact portion. | 09-18-2008 |
20080237970 | Sheet loading device, sheet conveying device, and image forming apparatus - A sheet cassette loads and houses therein a plurality of sheets. A separating unit separates the sheets loaded in the sheet cassette one by one. The separating unit is arranged in the sheet cassette in opposite to a feeding roller that conveys the sheets from the sheet cassette. A rib is formed on a rear surface of a bottom plate of the sheet cassette. The rib is pressed by a pressing member. | 10-02-2008 |
20080284090 | Switchback mechanism and image forming apparatus - In a color printer in which a drive force of a fixed gear that rotates not in both a forward direction and a reverse direction but in either one direction only is transmitted to a discharging unit, a swing gear is attached to a branch guide via a switching link and a transmission link as a link mechanism. When a solenoid mechanism starts driving, the transmission link rotates. In accordance with the rotation of the transmission link, the switching link rotates, so that a switching among a discharge conveying path, a duplex-printing conveying path, and a switchback conveying path by the branch guide and a switching of a rotating direction of a transmission gear can be simultaneously performed. | 11-20-2008 |
20090010680 | Fixing device and image forming apparatus - An engaging unit engages a housing of a fixing device with a main body of an image forming apparatus in an engaged position, and disengages the housing from the main body in a disengaged position. An operating member operates the engaging unit from the engaged position to the disengaged position or vice versa. A holding recession is formed on at least one corner between a front side and a lateral side of the housing. The operating member and the holding recession form a handling unit with which the housing is supported when the housing is attached to or detached from the main body. | 01-08-2009 |
20090060572 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a pair of first frames that support an axis of each of a fixing roller and a pressing roller and a pair of second frames arranged in parallel to an axial direction of the fixing roller to connect the first frames to each other. The second frames include cover portions that cover an upper peripheral surface and a lower peripheral surface of the rollers. A coupling member couples the cover portions to each other and has a bridge structure between the cover portions. | 03-05-2009 |
20090074440 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a pair of fixing members opposing each other and a pressing lever that is rotatable around a shaft. The pressing lever can be moved either to a pressing position in which one of the fixing members is pressed against the other fixing member, or to a pressure releasing position in which the one of the fixing member is separated from the other fixing member. When the pressing lever moves between the pressing position and the pressure releasing position, a first control unit located near an end of the pressing lever controls displacement of the end. | 03-19-2009 |
20090110449 | SEPARATING MEMBER, FIXING DEVICE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing roller and a pressing roller that are in pressure contact with each other. A separating plate is placed opposite to the fixing roller with a certain gap in between them. Positioning portions are installed on the separating plate to be in contact with width-direction ends of the fixing roller for determining the gap. The positioning portions are arranged such that edges of contact portions of the positioning portions on the width-direction center side in contact with the fixing unit are positioned outside an image area and inside a paper-passing area for a recording medium of a maximum passing-capable size. | 04-30-2009 |
20090129836 | Fixing device and image forming apparatus using this fixing device - A fixing device and an image forming apparatus using this, in which even if permanent warping is produced on a roller member that forms a fixing nip portion, no collision sound is produced due to the collision of gears, the fixing device including: two roller members that form a nip portion in which a recording medium is pressed by pressure means and transported; and a drive gear that engages with a shaft portion of one of the two roller members and transmits driving force to that roller member. A key is formed in the drive gear and a key groove having a gap opened therein is formed in the shaft portion, and when a rotation velocity of the roller member increases, transmission of driving force from the drive gear to the shaft portion is suspended and the drive gear slides on the shaft portion. | 05-21-2009 |
20100276874 | Manual sheet-feeding device and image forming apparatus - An adjusting member is positioned in a sheet feeding opening. The adjusting member is adjusted according to the size of the paper sheet. The adjusting member does not jut out of an exterior surface of an apparatus body. | 11-04-2010 |
20110127707 | Switchback mechanism and image forming apparatus - In a color printer in which a drive force of a fixed gear that rotates not in both a forward direction and a reverse direction but in either one direction only is transmitted to a discharging unit, a swing gear is attached to a branch guide via a switching link and a transmission link as a link mechanism. When a solenoid mechanism starts driving, the transmission link rotates. In accordance with the rotation of the transmission link, the switching link rotates, so that a switching among a discharge conveying path, a duplex-printing conveying path, and a switchback conveying path by the branch guide and a switching of a rotating direction of a transmission gear can be simultaneously performed. | 06-02-2011 |
20110142495 | Fixing device and image forming apparatus - A fixing device includes a fixing roller, a heat roller, an endless fixing belt wound around the two rollers to be driven to rotate, a nip forming member to form a nip while contacting the fixing belt at a position opposite the fixing roller, a pressing member to press the heat roller to separate it from the fixing roller, and a temperature detector to detect a temperature of the fixing belt at a position opposite the heat roller. The temperature detector is provided opposite or in contact with the fixing belt at a position, in parallel with the moving direction of the heat roller, on the outermost periphery of the displacement area of a surface of the fixing belt which displaces according to the approaching and departing movement of the heat roller. With such a simple structure, the temperature detector can detect the temperature of the fixing belt accurately. | 06-16-2011 |
20110204556 | Feeding device and image forming apparatus - A sheet discharge roller has a contact portion in contact with a feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The sheet discharge roller includes a kick-out unit having a projected portion and a recess portion on one end of the noncontact portion in the circumferential direction. A reverse roller also has a contact portion in contact with the feed roller and a noncontact portion not in contact with the feed roller. The reverse roller includes a large-diameter portion on its one end in a direction opposite to a direction of the kick-out unit. The large-diameter portion has a diameter larger than a diameter of the contact portion. | 08-25-2011 |
20120007307 | Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus - A conveying device conveys a sheet of non-blank recording medium recorded with an image formed in an image forming unit, and includes a container that is detachable and contains a sheet of blank recording medium, a feeding unit that feeds the blank recording medium from the container, and a recirculating path that leads the non-blank recording medium to the feeding unit. The recirculating path is disposed lateral to the image forming unit. A part of the recirculating path is integrated into the container and forms a reversing path that leads to the feeding unit. At least one of surfaces of the reversing path can be exposed. | 01-12-2012 |
20120177422 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes a heat pipe, a fuser belt, a heater, a fuser pad, a pressure member, and a coupling mechanism. The heat pipe is formed of a sheet of metal bent into a generally cylindrical configuration with a pair of opposed longitudinal edges thereof spaced apart from each other to define a longitudinal slot therebetween. The fuser belt is looped for rotation around the heat pipe. The heater is disposed within the heat pipe to heat the heat pipe to conduct heat to the fuser belt. The fuser pad is accommodated in the longitudinal slot of the heat pipe inside the loop of the fuser belt. The pressure member is disposed parallel to the heat pipe with the fuser belt interposed between the fuser pad and the pressure member. The coupling mechanism includes a pair of first coupling portion and a pair of second coupling portions. | 07-12-2012 |
20120275834 | FIXING DEVICE HAVING PIPE HEATER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device comprises a flexible endless belt rotated in a prescribed direction to heat and fuse a toner image, a rotating member disposed on an outer circumferential surface side of the flexible endless belt that presses against and rotates the flexible endless belt, and a fixed member fixedly mounted on the fixing device at both lateral ends and disposed on an inner circumferential surface side of the flexible endless belt to press against the rotating member via the flexible endless belt. A heater is fixedly disposed facing an inner circumferential surface of the flexible endless belt to heat the flexible endless belt. The heater includes an opening opposed to the rotating member that accommodates the fixed member. A reinforcing member is fixedly disposed on an inner circumferential surface side of the heater to contact and reinforce the fixed member. | 11-01-2012 |
20130064586 | FIXING DEVICE WITH MECHANISM CAPABLE OF HEATING BELT EFFECTIVELY AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS INCORPORATING SAME - A fixing device includes an endless belt and an opposed rotary body contacting an outer circumferential surface of the belt. A nip formation pad contacting a first part of an inner circumferential surface of the belt presses against the opposed rotary body via the belt to form a fixing nip between the belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A heat conductor disposed opposite a second part of the inner circumferential surface of the belt not contacted by the nip formation pad is interposed between a heater and the belt to conduct heat from the heater to the belt. A reflector disposed inside the loop formed by the belt reflects light from the heater toward the heat conductor. The reflector and the heat conductor surround the heater. | 03-14-2013 |
20140093288 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH SAME, AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING FIXING DEVICE - A fixing device fixes a toner image on a recording medium transported to a fixing nip by applying pressure and heat to the recording medium. The fixing device includes an endless belt formed into a loop with both ends bonded together, the belt accommodating a heat source inside thereof, a pressing roller rotating in contact with the endless belt forming the fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing roller, and a fixed member provided inside a loop of the endless belt to press the endless belt against a pressing roller. A reinforcing member is bonded to the fixed member inside the loop of the endless belt to reinforce the fixed member. A reflector is provided to reflect light emitted from the heat source toward the inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The reflector is held on the reinforcing member by either plastically or elastically deforming by itself. | 04-03-2014 |
20140099146 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body and a pressing rotary body disposed opposite the fixing rotary body. A pivotable pressurization member contacts and presses the pressing rotary body against the fixing rotary body. A pressurization pivot is provided on the pressurization member. A depressurization member, pivotable about the pressurization pivot, causes the pressurization member to isolate the pressing rotary body from the fixing rotary body. A depressurization pivot is provided on the depressurization member. A lock is pivotable about the depressurization pivot and engageable with the pressurization pivot. A biasing member, anchored to the lock, exerts a resilient bias that allows the lock to cause the pressurization member to press the pressing rotary body against the fixing rotary body. A detent is situated in a pivotal trajectory of the lock to restrict pivot of the lock by contacting the lock. | 04-10-2014 |
20140112691 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a heat conductor disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt to heat the endless belt. A nip formation pad is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the endless belt and presses the endless belt against a pressing rotary body to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A support is disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the heat conductor and contacts an abutment face of the nip formation pad to support the nip formation pad against pressure from the pressing rotary body. A heat insulator is interposed between the heater and the nip formation pad and the support to shield the nip formation pad and the support from the heater. | 04-24-2014 |
20140153965 | FIXING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WITH SAME, AND METHOD OF SMOOTHLY DETACHING AND ATTACHING FIXING DEVICE FROM AND TO IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a housing detachably attached to a body of an image forming apparatus, a fixing unit mounted on the housing to heat and fix an unfixed toner image onto a recording medium, a locking mechanism to lock and unlock the housing in the body of the image forming apparatus by switching its own position from a locking position to an unlocking position, vice-versa, and an operating member integrally connected to the locking mechanism to operate the locking mechanism. First and second handling members are provided on lower and upper sides of the housing, respectively, to be handled when the housing is either attached to or detached from the body of the image forming apparatus. The operating member approaches the second handling member when the locking mechanism changes its position to detach the housing from the body of the image forming apparatus. | 06-05-2014 |
20140153983 | FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A fixing device includes a nip formation pad disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of an endless belt and pressing the endless belt against a pressing rotary body to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing rotary body. A recording medium is conveyed through the fixing nip. The endless belt slides over a friction reducer sandwiched between the endless belt and the nip formation pad. The friction reducer includes a body and at least one tab projecting from the body in a direction opposite a recording medium conveyance direction. A friction reducer fastener is attached to the tab of the friction reducer and placed inside the nip formation pad to mount the friction reducer on the nip formation pad. | 06-05-2014 |