Abstract: A method for preparing a silicone elastomer porous material includes the steps of (1) providing a water-in-oil emulsion including a liquid silicone rubber material which forms a silicone elastomer upon curing, a silicone oil material that has a surface activation function, and water droplets dispersed in the liquid silicone rubber material, (2) subjecting the emulsion to a primary heating, thereby curing the liquid silicone rubber material to form a silicone elastomer and confining the water droplets within the silicone elastomer substantially as they are present in the emulsion, and (3) subjecting the silicone elastomer to a secondary heating, thereby evaporating and removing the water droplets from the silicone elastomer, thereby forming the silicone elastomer porous material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fixing roller which comprises a core 16, a porous material layer 22 disposed in surrounding relation to an outer peripheral surface of the core 16, and a thin-walled metal sleeve 26 covering an outer peripheral surface of the porous material layer 22. The porous material layer 22 comprises a closed cell-type silicone elastomer. The present invention provides a fixing roller capable of ensuring enhanced durability and maintaining a usable state over long periods under the condition of being actually driven and rotated.

Abstract: A water-in-oil emulsion composition for forming a silicone elastomer porous material contains a liquid silicone rubber material which forms a silicone elastomer upon curing, a silicone oil material which has a surface activation function, and water.

Abstract: A substantially closed-cell silicone elastomer porous body includes cells with diameters of 50 ?m or less, which occupy 50% or more of all the cells, and has a closed cell rate of 60% or more.

Abstract: A method for preparing a silicone elastomer porous material includes the steps of (1) providing a water-in-oil emulsion including a liquid silicone rubber material which forms a silicone elastomer upon curing, a silicone oil material that has a surface activation function, and water droplets dispersed in the liquid silicone rubber material, (2) subjecting the emulsion to a primary heating, thereby curing the liquid silicone rubber material to form a silicone elastomer and confining the water droplets within the silicone elastomer substantially as they are present in the emulsion, and (3) subjecting the silicone elastomer to a secondary heating, thereby evaporating and removing the water droplets from the silicone elastomer, thereby forming the silicone elastomer porous material.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller 12, a heating source 14 for allowing the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 12 to have a given temperature capable of performing a fixing operation, a pressing roller 16 in rotational contact with the fixing roller 12, and a biasing member 18 for allowing the pressing roller 16 to be brought into press contact with the fixing roller 16 at a given pressure. The fixing apparatus is operable to allow a sheet with a surface supporting an unfixed toner thereon to pass through the rotational contact region along one direction so as to fix the unfixed toner onto the sheet. In this fixing apparatus, the fixing roller 12 is disposed on the side of the sheet surface supporting the unfixed toner, and the pressing roller 16 is disposed on the opposite side of the fixing roller 12 with respect to the sheet.

Abstract: A fixing belt for fixing the toner image on a recording medium includes an electroformed nickel endless belt body. The belt body exhibits hardness higher at the rear surface than at the front surface after heated at 350° C.

Abstract: A toner supply roller comprises a metallic core shaft and an electrically conductive elastic layer formed to surround the outer surface of the shaft. The conductive elastic layer is formed of open-cell polyurethane foam. The polyurethane foam is impregnated with an electrically conductive polymer and a binder.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fixing roller which comprises a core 16, a porous material layer 22 disposed in surrounding relation to an outer peripheral surface of the core 16, and a thin-walled metal sleeve 26 covering an outer peripheral surface of the porous material layer 22. The porous material layer 22 comprises a closed cell-type silicone elastomer. The present invention provides a fixing roller capable of ensuring enhanced durability and maintaining a usable state over long periods under the condition of being actually driven and rotated.

Abstract: An image forming roller according to an aspect includes a shaft, and an electrically conductive elastic layer provided to cover an outer circumferential of the shaft and having a polished surface. The shaft is made of a resin composition containing an aromatic polyamide, a glass fiber, an electrically conductive material and optionally an aliphatic polyamide, and exhibits a bending strength of 250 MPa or higher and a flexural modulus of 15 GPa or higher.

Abstract: A metal belt of the present invention is formed to be endless by electroforming, has a crystal orientation in which a crystal orientation ratio I(200)/I(111) is not less than 80 and not more than 250, mainly contains nickel, and has an excellent durability.

Abstract: A method of producing a developing roller, includes providing a roller core having an electrically conductive layer provided on a circumferential surface thereof, applying a reaction mixture containing a fluorine-containing polyol, an isocyanate compound, and a reactive silicone oil having an active hydrogen to a surface of the conductive layer, and subjecting the reaction mixture to a reaction condition for reacting the flourine-containing polyol and the reactive silicone oil with the isocyanate compound.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing roller capable of satisfying releasing ability and scratch resistance all together. The fixing roller comprises a core 16, a primer layer 18 applied on the periphery of the core 18, and a fluororesin top layer 20 applied on the periphery of the primer layer 18, wherein glass particles 24 are mixed into at least one of the primer layer 18 and the top layer 20.

Abstract: A substantially closed-cell silicone elastomer porous body includes cells with diameters of 50 ?m or less, which occupy 50% or more of all the cells, and has a closed cell rate of 60% or more.

Abstract: A fixing belt for fixing a toner image on a transfer medium is provided with an-endless belt body formed of electroformed nickel composed of crystallites oriented on crystal orientation planes. With respect to those crystallites on the crystal plain which have average grain diameter greatly changed by heating, a change ratio of average grain diameter after heating at 250° C. for 2 hours is not larger than 110% based on average grain diameter before heating.

Abstract: A water-in-oil emulsion composition for forming a silicone elastomer porous material contains a liquid silicone rubber material which forms a silicone elastomer upon curing, a silicone oil material which has a surface activation function, and water.

Abstract: A fixing belt for fixing the toner image on a recording medium includes an electroformed nickel endless belt body. The belt body exhibits hardness higher at the rear surface than at the front surface after heated at 350° C.

Abstract: A toner supply roller comprises a metallic core shaft and an electrically conductive elastic layer formed to surround the outer surface of the shaft. The conductive elastic layer is formed of open-cell polyurethane foam. The polyurethane foam is impregnated with an electrically conductive polymer and a binder.

Abstract: A toner supply roller comprises a metallic core shaft and an electrically conductive elastic layer formed to surround the outer surface of the shaft. The conductive elastic layer is formed of open-cell polyurethane foam. The polyurethane foam is impregnated with an electrically conductive polymer and a binder.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved fixing apparatus capable of reliably releasing a sheet having toner fixed thereon from a fixing belt without any releasing pawl even in large-sized sheets. The fixing apparatus includes a fixing roller, a pressing roller in rotational contact with the fixing roller, a biasing member for applying a biasing force to the pressing roller so as to bring the pressing roller into press contact with the fixing roller at a given pressure, a heating roller disposed apart from the fixing roller, a fixing belt wound around both the heating and fixing rollers in an endless manner, and a heat-generating device embedded in the heating roller to heat the fixing belt so as to heat unfixed toner on a sheet passing through a rotational contact region between the fixing and pressing rollers, whereby when the sheet having unfixed toner on a surface thereof is passed through the rotational contact region along one direction, the unfixed toner is fixed onto the sheet.