Abstract: An oil coating roller comprising a porous round-rod-like molded product, a heat-resistant fiber felt layer provided on an outer circumference of the porous round-rod-like molded product, and a porous film applied onto an outer circumference of the felt layer. The porous round-rod-like molded product contains heat-resistant fibers bound to each other by a binder, and has fine communicating voids free from the binder among the fibers and evenly distributed pores having a pore size in a range of from 0.05 to 2 mm and a total void percentage in a range of from 30 to 90%. The porous round-rod-like molded product is impregnated with silicone oil. The heat-resistant fiber felt layer has a thickness in a range of from 0.5 to 5 mm. The porous film has a thickness in a range of from 15 to 130 &mgr;m, a mean pore size in a range of from 0.1 to 3.0 &mgr;m, a porosity in a range of from 60 to 90% and an air permeability in a range of from 3 to 1500 sec per 100 cc.

Abstract: An oil holding cylinder for an oil coating roller is provided. The cylinder includes at least a cylindrical non-sintered molded body, which is formulated from a mixture of at least ceramic fiber and an organic binder. In addition, the mixture can further include clay, an inorganic binder, or a combination thereof. The molded body preferably has a porosity in a range of about 30% to about 70%. In operation, the oil holding cylinder disclosed herein can stably and uniformly supply oil to the fixing rollers and the like for an extended period of time, while preventing offset.

Abstract: A coating fluid holding member including a porous molded body which is formed of heat-resistant fibers (or a mixture of heat-resistant fibers and a filler) bound to each other with a binder, has intercommunicating pores having an average pore size of 1 to 500 .mu.m, and has a porosity of 20 to 90%, and a coating fluid holding member including a porous molded body which is formed of heat-resistant fibers bound to each other with a binder, contains fine intercommunicating interstices between fibers and uniformly distributed pores having a diameter of 0.05 to 2 mm, and has a porosity of 30 to 90%. The holding member has a high fluid holding capacity for its volume and releases the coating fluid, such as a parting agent, an oil or a coating compound, in a stable manner for an extended period of time.

Abstract: To provide an oil supplying means for an oil coating roller, by which oil can be supplied stably for a long time while preventing offset, a cylindrical non-sintered molded body which is a mixture of ceramic fiber and clay is used as an oil holding member in an oil coating roller.

Abstract: A switched-mode power supply provides a plurality of directly regulated DC output voltages. The power supply includes a first inverter-coupled transformer for providing first and second DC output voltages, with a feedback loop provided from a first output to the inverter for regulating the first DC output voltage. A second transformer is coupled across the first and second output lines of the first transformer and is further coupled across the second output lines by means of a switching regulator circuit including a second feedback loop for regulating the second DC output voltage. By proper selection of the number of turns of the second transformer, the regulator is capable of either substantially increasing the second output voltage when the switching device is on while lowering the output voltage very little when the switching device is off, or increasing the second output voltage very little with the switching device on while substantially lowering the output voltage when the switching device is off.