Abstract: A fixing device includes a heat conductive member; a flexible fixing belt looped around the heat conductive member, an inner circumference of the flexible fixing belt slidably contacting a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the heat conductive member; a rotary pressing member disposed opposing the heat conductive member; heat sources disposed in a circumferential direction of the fixing belt at a predetermined interval to heat the heat conductive member; and temperature detectors provided to detect a surface temperature of the fixing belt at a detection position at which heating intensity of a corresponding one of the heat sources is not affected by any other one. In operation, the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt contacts the heat conductive member at a position at which each temperature detector contacts the fixing belt as the detection position or a position proximal to the detection position of each temperature detector.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a temperature detector, and a support member. The fixing device is removably installable in the image forming apparatus and includes a rotary fixing member to fuse a toner image on a recording medium, a fixing frame to support the fixing member, and an outer fixing cover provided to cover the fixing member and the fixing frame and having an opening from which a portion of a surface of the fixing member is exposed to the outside. The temperature detector is disposed opposing the fixing member to detect a temperature of the surface of the fixing member without contacting the fixing member when the fixing member is installed in the image forming apparatus. The support member supports the temperature detector to introduce the temperature detector into the inside of the fixing cover through the opening upon installation of the fixing member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a nip formation pad contacting a part of an outer circumferential surface of an interior rotary body sliding thereover and a fixing belt looped over the interior rotary body and the nip formation pad. A pressing rotary body is pressed against the nip formation pad via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressing rotary body and the fixing belt. A lubricant applicator is mounted on the nip formation pad to apply a lubricant to the outer circumferential surface of the interior rotary body. The pressing rotary body, the fixing belt, the nip formation pad, and the interior rotary body are aligned in this order in a pressurization direction in which the pressing rotary body exerts pressure to the interior rotary body via the fixing belt and the nip formation pad to form the fixing nip.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a stationary member, a metal member, flanges, a first heater, and a second heater. The pressing member is rotatably pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a nip therebetween. The metal member is fixedly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member over an area other than the nip. The flanges are disposed at axial edges of the metal member in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the metal member. The first heater is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the metal member to heat an axial middle portion of the metal member. The second heater is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the metal member to heat axial end portions of the metal member. The first heater is disposed farther from the nip than the second heater.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a fixing device to fix a toner image on a recoding medium; a compressed air generator to generate a compressed air; an air nozzle to inject the compressed air to separate the recording medium having the fixed toner image from the fixing device; a first switching unit to switch the air nozzle between injection and termination, which is provided upstream from the air nozzle; and a buffer unit to retain the compressed air, which is provided upstream from the air nozzle and downstream from the first switching unit.

Abstract: A power transmitting apparatus can include a gear-stage clutch comprising alternately arranged driving clutch discs and driven clutch discs; hydraulic chambers for actuating a hydraulic piston; and hydraulic oil supplying ports communicating with oil passages opening on the side surface of the input shaft for supplying the hydraulic chambers with hydraulic oil from the oil passages to actuate the hydraulic piston. Power can be transmitted at a predetermined gear ratio by engaging clutch discs of the gear-stage clutch by selectively supplying the hydraulic chambers with hydraulic oil. An annular sealing member can be fitted in a recessed portion formed around each opening of the hydraulic oil supplying port on the outer circumference of the input shaft. The recessed portion can have a flattened bottom surface on which the sealing member is seated so that it is contacted with the flattened bottom surface of the recessed portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a stationary at least partially tubular thermal member, a flexible fuser belt, a fuser pad, and a rotatable pressure member. The thermal member has a tubular portion thereof extending in an axial direction and defining a closed axial cross-section. A circumference of the thermal member is subjected to heating. The fuser belt is looped for rotation around the thermal member. An inner circumference of the fuser belt at least partially faces the thermal member. The fuser pad is held stationary inside the loop of the fuser belt. The pressure member extends opposite the thermal member in the axial direction with the fuser belt interposed between the fuser pad and the pressure member. The fuser pad is pressed against the pressure member through the fuser belt to form a fixing nip. The thermal member is spaced apart from the fuser pad.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a nip forming member disposed inside a fixing member and pressed against a pressing member via the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressing member and the fixing member through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. A heat generator disposed inside the fixing member heats the fixing member outside the nip portion and has variable heat distribution over a width of the fixing member. A first temperature detector disposed inside the fixing member contacts an end portion of the heat generator in the width direction of the fixing member, opposite a surface facing the fixing member, to detect a temperature of the heat generator. A second temperature detector disposed inside the fixing member contacts a center of an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member in the width direction, to detect the temperature of the fixing member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a stationary member, a metal member, flanges, a first heater, and a second heater. The pressing member is rotatably pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a nip therebetween. The metal member is fixedly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member over an area other than the nip. The flanges are disposed at axial edges of the metal member in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the metal member. The first heater is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the metal member to heat an axial middle portion of the metal member. The second heater is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the metal member to heat axial end portions of the metal member. The first heater is disposed farther from the nip than the second heater.

Abstract: A fixing unit removably installable in an image forming apparatus includes an endless fixing member; a metal member disposed in proximity to an inner surface of the fixing member; a nip formation member supported by the metal member to slidably contact the fixing member or oppose the fixing member via a slide sheet; a heater to heat the metal member to heat the fixing member; a rotary pressing member to rotate the fixing member, disposed opposite the nip formation member via the fixing member to form a nip between the rotary pressing member and the fixing member; a rotation detector to detect a rotational state of the fixing member. Heating rotation of the fixing member is continuously performed until a predetermined rotational state of the fixing member is obtained, to spread lubricant substantially uniformly at least between the fixing member and the metal member.

Abstract: A transmission apparatus includes a network-side interface unit configured to receive a signal transmission frame into which a client signal is arranged from each of a working line and a protection line of a network, and extract the client signal from the received signal transmission frame, a client-side interface unit configured to transmit the extracted client signal to a client transmission path by using a generated clock, based on frequency adjustment information of the client signal included in the signal transmission frame, a protection-line-side memory configured to store the frequency adjustment information of the client signal included in the signal transmission frame received from the protection line, and a switch controller configured to control to generate a clock by using the frequency adjustment information of the client signal stored in the protection-line-side memory when the signal transmission frame fails to be received from the working line.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing an image on a recording medium includes an endless flexible fixing member formed into a loop, a heat conductive member disposed within the loop formed by the fixing member, a heater disposed near the heat conductive member to heat the heat conductive member, a pressing member pressing the fixing member against the heat conductive member to form a fixing nip, a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the fixing member, and a lubricant disposed between the fixing member and the heat conductive member. The heater heats the heat conductive member to heat the lubricant with the fixing member stopped. The fixing member rotates after heating of the heat conductive member by the heater.

Abstract: A heat conduction unit includes a flexible endless belt, a heat conductor disposed in proximity to an inner circumferential face of the endless belt and having a cross-section substantially identical to a cross-section of the endless belt, a heat source that heats the heat conductor to heat the endless belt, a pressing roller disposed opposite the heat conductor to rotate the endless belt in accordance with rotation of the pressing roller, a nip formation member disposed opposite the pressing roller and within a loop formed by the endless belt to form a nip between the endless belt and the pressing roller, and a pushing member disposed within the loop to support the nip formation member. The heat conductor has at least two different cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to a long direction of the heat conductor at different positions in the long direction of the heat conductor.

Abstract: In a fixing device, a pressing member rotates in a predetermined direction of rotation. A flexible fixing member is disposed opposite the pressing member to rotate in accordance with rotation of the pressing member. A nip formation member is provided inside a loop formed by the fixing member and pressed against the pressing member via the fixing member to form a nip between the fixing member and the pressing member through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. A contact member pressingly contacts an outer circumferential surface of the rotating fixing member at both ends of the fixing member in an axial direction thereof.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a metal thermal conductor provided inside a loop formed by a fixing rotary body to heat the fixing rotary body; a heater provided inside the metal thermal conductor to heat the metal thermal conductor; a pad support provided inside the metal thermal conductor; and a reflector provided between the heater and the pad support to reflect heat emitted by the heater thereto toward an inner circumferential surface of the metal thermal conductor. The reflector includes a center reflection portion provided at a center of the reflector in a longitudinal direction thereof and a plurality of end reflection portions provided at respective lateral ends of the reflector. A plurality of reflector moving assemblies is connected to the plurality of end reflection portions of the reflector, respectively, to tilt the plurality of end reflection portions toward the center reflection portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt-shaped fixing member; a pressing member; a contact member provided inside a loop formed by the fixing member and pressed against the pressing member via the fixing member to form a nip between the pressing member and the fixing member, a laminated heater facing an inner circumferential face of the fixing member to heat the fixing member, connected to an external power source, and including a heat generation sheet that includes a heat-resistant resin in which conductive particles to receive electricity from the external power source and generate heat are unevenly dispersed throughout the heat-resistant resin to have a dispersal gradient of increasing particle dispersion density from an inner face toward an outer face of the heat generation sheet; and a heater support to support the laminated heater along the inner circumferential face of the fixing member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a stationary at least partially tubular thermal member, a flexible fuser belt, a fuser pad, and a rotatable pressure member. The thermal member has a tubular portion thereof extending in an axial direction and defining a closed axial cross-section. A circumference of the thermal member is subjected to heating. The fuser belt is looped for rotation around the thermal member. An inner circumference of the fuser belt at least partially faces the thermal member. The fuser pad is held stationary inside the loop of the fuser belt. The pressure member extends opposite the thermal member in the axial direction with the fuser belt interposed between the fuser pad and the pressure member. The fuser pad is pressed against the pressure member through the fuser belt to form a fixing nip. The thermal member is spaced apart from the fuser pad.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a stationary member, a metal member, flanges, a first heater, and a second heater. The pressing member is rotatably pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a nip therebetween. The metal member is fixedly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member over an area other than the nip. The flanges are disposed at axial edges of the metal member in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the metal member. The first heater is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the metal member to heat an axial middle portion of the metal member. The second heater is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the metal member to heat axial end portions of the metal member. The first heater is disposed farther from the nip than the second heater.

Abstract: A media separator includes air nozzles and separation plates to form a row of members, and is configured to separate a sheet conveyed from a fixing nip formed of a fixing member and a pressure member. In such a media separator, the plurality of air nozzles and at least one separation plate are disposed along a longitudinal direction of the fixing device, and the plurality of air nozzles are disposed at both lateral ends of the row of members in the longitudinal direction of the fixing device, whereby waving of the edge of the sheet in the printing of frequently used sheet can be prevented and the occurrence of jam may be prevented, and a stable sheet separation and conveyance can be realized.

Abstract: A task control computer program includes computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute an operating system as a task. The computer is caused to perform determining whether there is an executable non-idle process under control of the operating system and changing a set priority of the operating system task to a priority higher than the primary priority of the operating system task when it is determined that there is an executable non-idle process with the specified time elapsed.