Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device. The fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing member, a pressing member in contact with the nip forming member via the fixing member, and a heating source configured to heat the fixing member. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the fixing device and other devices included in the image forming apparatus, a rotation of the fixing member is stopped prior to stopping a rotation driving of a discharging unit and, after stopping, the fixing member is controlled to rotate.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photoreceptor 1 including the outer periphery of a cylindrical substrate 20, at least a photosensitive layer 21. One or more processed lines 20a are provided on one or both of end portions in the axial direction outside an image forming region of the outer peripheral surface of the substrate 20 along the circumferential direction. Also provided is an image forming apparatus including the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt and an opposed rotator to press against a nip formation pad via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the opposed rotator. A primary heater and a secondary heater heat the fixing belt. The secondary heater includes a lateral end heat generator. The nip formation pad includes a base and at least one thermal conductor being interposed between the base and the fixing nip and having a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the base. The at least one thermal conductor includes an outboard edge disposed between an inboard edge and an outboard edge of the lateral end heat generator and disposed outboard from a conveyance span of the fixing belt in an axial direction of the fixing belt, where a recording medium is conveyed over the fixing belt.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a primary heat generator and a secondary heat generator to heat an endless belt and a temperature detector, disposed opposite the secondary heat generator, to detect a temperature of the endless belt. The secondary heat generator includes an inboard edge and an outboard edge disposed outboard from the inboard edge in an axial direction of the endless belt. The secondary heat generator has an inboard length defined between a center of a detection span of the temperature detector and the inboard edge in the axial direction of the endless belt. The secondary heat generator further has an outboard length defined between the center of the detection span of the temperature detector and the outboard edge in the axial direction of the endless belt. The secondary heat generator defines a ratio of the outboard length to the inboard length that is greater than 7/3.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium includes an endless fixing rotary member which is formed into a loop and comes into contact with the image on the recording medium, an opposed rotary member which is in contact with the fixing rotary member, a nip forming member provided inside the loop of the fixing rotary member to be in contact with the opposed rotary member via the fixing rotary member to form a nip portion to which the recording medium is fed in a feeding direction, a support member which supports the nip forming member, and a heating source which heats the fixing rotary member. The nip forming member includes a downstream portion extending downstream in the feeding direction from a center of the nip portion and an upstream portion extending upstream in the feeding direction from the center and longer than the downstream portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.

Abstract: Provided is a Fe—Co-based alloy sputtering target material having a composition represented as an atomic ratio by the compositional formula: (Fea—Co100-a)100-b-c-d—Tab—Nbc-Md, wherein 0<a?80, 0?b?10, 0?c?15, 5?b+c?15, 2?d?20, 15?b+c+d?25, and M represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mo, Cr and W, with the balance consisting of unavoidable impurities, wherein the sputtering target material has a bending fracture strain ?fB at 300° C. of 0.4% or more.

Abstract: A nip-forming member includes: a first nip-forming member configured to be a main body of the nip-forming member; and a second nip-forming member disposed on a surface of the first nip-forming member, the surface facing the inner circumferential surface, the second nip-forming member extending in a direction orthogonal to a rotating direction of the fixing belt. Both ends of the second nip-forming member on an upstream side and a downstream side of the rotating direction are bent in a direction away from the nipping part, in order to create a pair of side-wall portions, so that the second nip-forming member has a concave cross-section for accommodating the first nip-forming member. The second nip-forming member has a restraining portion at a position located on the side-wall portion created on the upstream side, the restraining portion being configured to restrain the first nip-forming member not to be detached from the concave cross-section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device. The fixing device includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing member, a pressing member in contact with the nip forming member via the fixing member, and a heating source configured to heat the fixing member. When an abnormality occurs in at least one of the fixing device and other devices included in the image forming apparatus, a rotation of the fixing member is stopped prior to stopping a rotation driving of a discharging unit and, after stopping, the fixing member is controlled to rotate.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt; a pressure roller to contact the fixing belt; a nip forming member to press the pressure roller from the fixing belt; a nip portion formed between the fixing belt and the pressure roller; a heater to heat the fixing belt to fuse and fix toner onto a recording sheet in the nip portion; an auxiliary driven roller; an auxiliary drive roller to drive the driven roller; an auxiliary nip portion, formed between an outer circumferential surface of the auxiliary driven roller and an outer circumferential surface of the auxiliary drive roller, to nip the recording sheet after toner fixation conveyed from the nip portion; and an outlet guide member, disposed downstream of the auxiliary nip portion, to guide the recording sheet after toner fixation conveyed from the auxiliary nip portion, with the toner-fixed recording sheet surface bent in a concave shape.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotator being rotatable and a heater to heat the fixing rotator. The heater includes a tube, a heat generator, disposed inside the tube, to generate heat, and a sealing portion, disposed at each lateral end of the tube in a longitudinal direction of the heater, to seal the tube. The sealing portion includes an inboard edge. A reflector reflects heat radiated from the heater toward the fixing rotator. The reflector includes an outboard edge being disposed inboard from the inboard edge of the sealing portion in an axial direction of the fixing rotator.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt and an opposed rotator to press against a nip formation pad via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the opposed rotator. A primary heater and a secondary heater heat the fixing belt. The secondary heater includes a lateral end heat generator. The nip formation pad includes a base and at least one thermal conductor being interposed between the base and the fixing nip and having a thermal conductivity greater than a thermal conductivity of the base. The at least one thermal conductor includes an outboard edge disposed between an inboard edge and an outboard edge of the lateral end heat generator and disposed outboard from a conveyance span of the fixing belt in an axial direction of the fixing belt, where a recording medium is conveyed over the fixing belt.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium includes an endless fixing rotary member which is formed into a loop and comes into contact with the image on the recording medium, an opposed rotary member which is in contact with the fixing rotary member, a nip forming member provided inside the loop of the fixing rotary member to be in contact with the opposed rotary member via the fixing rotary member to form a nip portion to which the recording medium is fed in a feeding direction, a support member which supports the nip forming member, and a heating source which heats the fixing rotary member. The nip forming member includes a downstream portion extending downstream in the feeding direction from a center of the nip portion and an upstream portion extending upstream in the feeding direction from the center and longer than the downstream portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first heater disposed opposite and heating at least a center of a fixing belt in an axial direction thereof and a second heater disposed opposite and heating at least a lateral end of the fixing belt in the axial direction thereof. A power supply supplies power to the first heater and the second heater. A controller that controls the power supply includes a calculator to calculate an elapsed time elapsed after at least one of the first heater and the second heater starts heating the fixing belt. The controller controls the power supply to supply power to the first heater and the second heater such that a power density of the second heater is greater than a power density of the first heater when the elapsed time calculated by the calculator is smaller than a predetermined time.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix a toner image onto a recording medium, a voltmeter to measure an input voltage from an external source, and a controller operatively connected to the fixing device and the voltmeter. The fixing device includes an endless, fixing rotator formed into a loop, a heater to heat the fixing rotator, a pressure pad disposed inside the loop, and a pressure rotator disposed opposite the pressure pad via the fixing rotator to press the fixing rotator against the pressure pad to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which the recording medium bearing the toner image is conveyed. The controller controls a heating operation of the heater and a fixing operation of the fixing device to fix the toner image onto the recording medium, based on the input voltage measured by the voltmeter.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat source; a fixing member looped into a generally cylindrical shape to rotate in a circumferential direction thereof and partially heated by the heat source and to heat a surface of a recording medium bearing an unfixed toner image to fix the unfixed toner image thereon in a fixing process; a rotary pressing member disposed facing the fixing member to form a nip therebetween, through which the recording medium is transported in a transport direction; and a rotation driver to rotate one of the fixing member and the pressing member. In a case in which the fixing member is halted for a reason other than the fixing process while power of the fixing device is on, electric power is not supplied to the heat source and the fixing member is rotated by a predetermined amount or more after the fixing member is halted.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt that is multilayered, an opposing rotator disposed opposite the fixing belt and pressed to the fixing belt to form a nip, a heater disposed inside the fixing belt, and a safety device including a contactless temperature sensor disposed outside the fixing belt and apart from an outer face of the fixing. The fixing belt is to rotate and thermally expand. The contactless temperature sensor detects a temperature of the fixing belt. The safety device stops heating by the heater when the temperature detected by the contactless temperature sensor is at or higher than a predetermined temperature. As the outer face of the fixing belt shifts outward in the radial direction due to thermal, a proportion of the outer face of the fixing belt in a viewing angle of the contactless temperature sensor increases.