Abstract: A metal pipe having an outer diameter of 150 mm to 3,000 mm and a wall thickness of 2 mm to 50 mm, and a method for manufacturing the same. The method includes a pipe-end-portion expansion step of expanding pipe end portions that are located at both ends of a mother pipe and an internal pressure application step that is performed after the pipe-end-portion expansion step and in which the mother pipe is expanded by applying an internal pressure, p, to the entire interior of the mother pipe until the internal pressure, p (MPa), that corresponds to changes in an axial compression amount s (mm), the axial compression amount, s, representing an amount of compression in a pipe axial direction against pipe extreme ends which are the both ends of the mother pipe, becomes a preset maximum internal pressure pmax (MPa), and p and s satisfy a specified formula.

Abstract: Provided is a garment that has an antistatic capability and exhibits washing durability without, when producing a woven or knitted fabric, using a conductive fiber at a part that becomes a wearing part of the woven or knitted fabric, and without applying an antistatic treatment to the woven or knitted fabric, but rather by incorporating a conductive fiber into a sewing thread. The garment according to the present invention has a conductive fiber incorporated in a sewing thread (linking thread), and has a frictional charge amount of 0.8 ?C or less per garment. The garment preferably has an electric resistance value of 1×104?-5×108? per 1 cm length of the conductive fiber in a fiber axis direction thereof, and the sewing thread preferably includes the conductive fiber in an amount of 30-100 mass %.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with a fixing roller, a peeling claw that peels a recording paper from the fixing roller, a peeling claw holder that rotatably supports the peeling claw, and a support member that movably supports the peeling claw holder to enable the peeling claw to retract by moving apart from the fixing roller, wherein not less than two directions are set as retracting directions of the peeling claw holder to be moved when the peeling claw is caused to retract by moving apart from the fixing roller.

Abstract: A fixing device of the present invention includes: an external heating belt which is to contact with a surface of a fixing roller so as to heat up the fixing roller; and a cleaning member (a scraper and/or cleaning pad) which is to contact with the external heating belt. The cleaning pad which is impregnated with silicone oil is to contact with a surface of the external heating belt, thereby applying the silicone oil (release agent) to the surface of the external heating belt. This makes it possible to prevent generation of an offset.

Abstract: In a fixing device including (i) an external heat belt which abuts against a surface of a fixing roller so as to heat the fixing roller and (ii) a cleaning member which abuts against the external heat belt, a fixing temperature, which is a surface temperature of the fixing roller during a fixing process, is set per group into which recording media to be subjected to the fixing process are divided according to their widths in a direction of a rotary axis of the fixing roller, in such a way that the fixing temperature is set to a lower temperature for a group of narrower widths. This makes it possible to prevent a reduction in releasability of the fixing roller caused by a material, which is scraped off from the external heat belt by the cleaning member and then adhered to the fixing roller, thereby preventing the high-temperature offset.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus provided with a plurality of fixing heaters having heat distribution characteristics that are different from each other inside a fixing roller, and an image forming apparatus provided with the fixing apparatus, an auxiliary heater is provided, the auxiliary heater being provided inside the fixing roller and to which power is distributed only during the warm-up period until the fixing roller in a lower temperature state reaches a predetermined fixing temperature. The plurality of fixing heaters includes a first fixing heater having first heat distribution characteristics that mainly heats a center portion of the fixing roller, and a second fixing heater having second heat distribution characteristics that mainly heats both end portion regions of the fixing roller.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a fixing apparatus that causes a recording material to pass through a nip portion formed by a rotating heat roller and a rotating pressure roller being in contact so as to perform a fixing operation is configured including a pressing mechanism that can switch between a pressure applied state in which the pressure roller presses against the heat roller using a bias and a pressure cancelled state in which the pressure is cancelled, a pressure state detection unit, and a control unit that performs a pressure cancelation operation and a pressure application operation.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a fixing apparatus is configured of a pressing portion for causing the pressure roller to enter a pressure applied state by applying bias, a switching portion for causing the pressing portion in the pressure applied state to enter a pressure released state by causing a cam to rotate forward, a pressure state detection portion for detecting the pressure released state, and a control portion for, when shifting from the pressure applied state to the pressure released state, turning forward the cam of the switching portion in the pressure applied state and stopping the cam after the pressure state detection portion detects the pressure released state. If the cam is turned forward with respect to the switching portion for a certain time period, but the pressure state detection portion does not detect the pressure released state, the control portion performs forward rotational direction retry control.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with a fixing roller, a peeling claw that peels a recording paper from the fixing roller, a peeling claw holder that rotatably supports the peeling claw, and a support member that movably supports the peeling claw holder to enable the peeling claw to retract by moving apart from the fixing roller, wherein not less than two directions are set as retracting directions of the peeling claw holder to be moved when the peeling claw is caused to retract by moving apart from the fixing roller.

Abstract: The present invention carries out temperature detection and temperature control accurately in a temperature control device using a noncontact-type temperature detecting section. The temperature control device obtains the surface temperature of a fixing roller by using a temperature correspondence table in which correspondences between output voltage values of a main NTC thermistor which detects heat generated by infrared radiation from the fixing roller and the surface temperatures of the fixing roller are shown for respective output voltage values of a compensation NTC thermistor.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an operation state, standby state or installation environment of an image forming apparatus is detected or determined, and details of heating control of the surface temperature of rollers of a fixing apparatus are changed in accordance with the detected or determined state or environment. For example, when the operation state is a state in which printing on a last sheet of recording paper in a print job is complete, or when the operation state is a state in which printing on recording paper is interrupted, and, in addition, when the installation environment is a low-temperature and low-humidity environment and the image forming apparatus enters the standby state, heating of the rollers is respectively controlled to prevent unexpected and inappropriate changes in the surface temperature of the rollers.

Abstract: A fixing device of the present invention includes: an external heating belt which is to contact with a surface of a fixing roller so as to heat up the fixing roller; and a cleaning member (a scraper and/or cleaning pad) which is to contact with the external heating belt. The cleaning pad which is impregnated with silicone oil is to contact with a surface of the external heating belt, thereby applying the silicone oil (release agent) to the surface of the external heating belt. This makes it possible to prevent generation of an offset.

Abstract: No covering layer is provided onto that abutting surface of an external heating belt which has contact with a cleaning member. Accordingly, a belt substrate is exposed and has contact with the cleaning member. This suppresses the occurrence of offset in a fixing device including (i) the external heating belt for having contact with the surface of the fixing roller so as to heat a fixing roller, and (ii) the cleaning member having contact with the external heating belt.

Abstract: In a fixing device including (i) an external heat belt which abuts against a surface of a fixing roller so as to heat the fixing roller and (ii) a cleaning member which abuts against the external heat belt, a fixing temperature, which is a surface temperature of the fixing roller during a fixing process, is set per group into which recording media to be subjected to the fixing process are divided according to their widths in a direction of a rotary axis of the fixing roller, in such a way that the fixing temperature is set to a lower temperature for a group of narrower widths. This makes it possible to prevent a reduction in releasability of the fixing roller caused by a material, which is scraped off from the external heat belt by the cleaning member and then adhered to the fixing roller, thereby preventing the high-temperature offset.

Abstract: A cleaning device according to the present invention comprises which includes a cleaning belt, an unwinder, a winder, and a detector. The unwinder is wound with the cleaning belt. The winder winds up the cleaning belt intermittently from the unwinder along a path leading past a cleaning position where the belt is brought into contact with a body to be cleaned. The detector is fitted in a detecting position on the path between the unwinder and the cleaning position. The cleaning belt has an end point set on it near its trailing end and associated with the detecting position. When detecting the end point, the detector outputs a detection signal.

Abstract: A fuser apparatus including: a fuser member having an endless contact surface to be brought into contact with each of successively transported recording media and a non-contact surface and being arranged to apply heat to the recording medium from the contact surface to fix a toner on the recording medium; a heating member energized to supply heat to the contact surface; a contact surface temperature detecting member for detecting a temperature of the contact surface; a non-contact surface temperature detecting member for detecting a temperature of the non-contact surface; and an energization controlling member for controling energization power of the heating member; wherein the energization controlling member controls the heating member energization power so that the heating member energization power is reduced as a difference between the non-contact surface temperature and the contact surface temperature decreases.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a fixing apparatus is configured of a pressing portion for causing the pressure roller to enter a pressure applied state by applying bias, a switching portion for causing the pressing portion in the pressure applied state to enter a pressure released state by causing a cam to rotate forward, a pressure state detection portion for detecting the pressure released state, and a control portion for, when shifting from the pressure applied state to the pressure released state, turning forward the cam of the switching portion in the pressure applied state and stopping the cam after the pressure state detection portion detects the pressure released state. If the cam is turned forward with respect to the switching portion for a certain time period, but the pressure state detection portion does not detect the pressure released state, the control portion performs forward rotational direction retry control.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a fixing apparatus that causes a recording material to pass through a nip portion formed by a rotating heat roller and a rotating pressure roller being in contact so as to perform a fixing operation is configured including a pressing mechanism that can switch between a pressure applied state in which the pressure roller presses against the heat roller using a bias and a pressure cancelled state in which the pressure is cancelled, a pressure state detection unit, and a control unit that performs a pressure cancelation operation and a pressure application operation.

Abstract: In an embodiment, in a fixing apparatus provided with a plurality of fixing heaters having heat distribution characteristics that are different from each other inside a fixing roller, and an image forming apparatus provided with the fixing apparatus, an auxiliary heater is provided, the auxiliary heater being provided inside the fixing roller and to which power is distributed only during the warm-up period until the fixing roller in a lower temperature state reaches a predetermined fixing temperature.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus for fusing and fixing an unfixed developer by heating/pressurizing a recording medium on which an image of the unfixed developer is formed, includes a fixing roller cleaning unit for cleaning surfaces of fixing rollers, and a propinquity/separation mechanism for moving the fixing roller cleaning unit close to and away from the fixing roller. The fixing apparatus operates the propinquity/separation mechanism so as to make the fixing roller cleaning unit contact the fixing roller when a temperature of the fixing roller becomes equal to or higher than a softening temperature of a developer. The fixing apparatus operates the propinquity/separation mechanism so as to move the fixing roller cleaning unit away from the fixing roller when a temperature of the fixing roller becomes lower than the softening temperature of the developer.