Abstract: According to embodiments, a heating member or a sliding member arranged in contact with the surface of a fusing roller is moved in an intersecting direction with the rotational direction of the fusing roller in a contact state with the heating member or the sliding member so as to prevent a scratch from being generated on the surface of the fusing roller or to repair the scratch.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a heating member or a sliding member arranged in contact with the surface of a fusing roller is moved in an intersecting direction with the rotational direction of the fusing roller in a contact state with the heating member or the sliding member so as to prevent a scratch from being generated on the surface of the fusing roller or to repair the scratch.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable member; a heater contactable to a surface of the rotatable member to heat the rotatable member; and a back-up member cooperative with the rotatable member to form a nip for nipping and feeding a recording material carrying an image, wherein a position of a peak in a pressure distribution with respect to a rotational direction of the rotatable member is upstream, with respect to the rotational direction, of a central portion of a contact region between the rotatable member and the heater with respect to the rotational direction.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus for heat-fixing an unfixed toner image formed on a sheet, includes a roller; an endless belt contacted to the roller; a pressing member contacted to an inner surface of the endless belt and cooperating with the roller to nip the endless belt, wherein the sheet on which the unfixed toner image is formed is heated while being nipped and fed by a nip between the roller and the endless belt, wherein such a surface of the pressing member as is opposed to the inner surface of the endless belt is curved substantially in the same direction as a curved surface of the roller, wherein the nip includes a first nip region in which the endless belt is not pressed by the pressing member and the endless belt is contacted to the roller by an elastic force of the endless belt which is in a slack state, and a second nip region in which the endless belt is contacted to the roller by pressing of the pressing member, wherein the nip starts with the first nip region with respect to a feeding direction of the shee

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station for forming a toner image on a recording material; and a fixing portion including a heating rotatable member, a heating element for heating the heating rotatable member using heat generation by electric power supply, a pressing rotatable member for contacting the heating rotatable member to form a nip for nipping and feeding the recording material, a pressure changing member for changing a pressure to the nip, wherein the fixing portion fixes the toner image on the recording material while nipping and feeding the recording material carrying the toner image by the nip, and fixing portion is capable of changing a glossiness of the toner image by changing the pressure to the nip by operation of the pressure changing member, wherein the image forming apparatus is operable in a glossy mode in which the glossiness of the toner image is switchable, wherein a MD-1 hardness of a surface layer of the heating rotatable member contactable with the toner image i

Abstract: The image heating apparatus includes a rotary member that comes into contact with a toner image borne on a recording material, a backup member that forms a nip portion to pinch and convey the recording material with said rotary member, wherein said rotary member heats the toner image on the recording material in the nip portion, a cover member that covers a surface of said rotary member with a gap between the surface of said rotary member and the cover member and a frame that accommodates said rotary member, said backup member and said cover, wherein said cover is not in contact with said frame. This structure can suppress heat dissipation to the exterior of the image heating apparatus, thus suppressing the energy consumption.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus for heat-fixing a toner image formed on a sheet, includes a roller; an endless belt contacted to the roller; a pressing member contacted to an inner surface of the endless belt and cooperating with the roller to nip the endless belt, wherein the sheet on which the unfixed toner image is formed is heated while being nipped and fed by a nip between the roller and the endless belt, wherein such a surface of the pressing member as is opposed to the inner surface of the endless belt is curved substantially in the same direction as a curved surface of the roller, wherein the nip includes a first nip region in which the belt is not pressed by the pressing member and the endless belt is contacted to the roller by an elastic force of the endless belt which is in a slack state, and a second nip region in which the endless belt is contacted to the roller by pressing of the pressing member, wherein the nip starts with the first nip region with respect to a feeding direction of the sheet, wherein the se

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable member; a heater contactable to a surface of the rotatable member to heat the rotatable member; and a back-up member cooperative with the rotatable member to form a nip for nipping and feeding a recording material carrying an image, wherein a position of a peak in a pressure distribution with respect to a rotational direction of the rotatable member is in an upstream, with respect to the rotational direction, of a central portion of a contact region between the rotatable member and the heater with respect to the rotational direction.

Abstract: In an image heating apparatus, outer peripheral surfaces of two endless belts are held in contact with each other to form a nip portion, and a recording material bearing a toner image is heated at the nip portion while being pinched and conveyed. In the image heating apparatus, the nip portion has a pre-nip portion formed by regions of the endless belts with no backup by pressure members, and a pressure nip portion where one endless belt with backup by the pressure members is held in contact with another endless belt. The image heating apparatus is capable of securing a large nip width compatible with an increase in speed and free from “pressure-absence” leading to image abnormality such as misregistration, thus enabling an image having a sufficient gloss to be obtained.

Abstract: In an image heating apparatus, outer peripheral surfaces of two endless belts are held in contact with each other to form a nip portion, and a recording material bearing a toner image is heated at the nip portion while being pinched and conveyed. In the image heating apparatus, the nip portion has a pre-nip portion formed by regions of the endless belts with no backup by pressure members, and a pressure nip portion where one endless belt with backup by the pressure members is held in contact with another endless belt. The image heating apparatus is capable of securing a large nip width compatible with an increase in speed and free from “pressure-absence” leading to image abnormality such as misregistration, thus enabling an image having a sufficient gloss to be obtained.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a heating member or a sliding member arranged in contact with the surface of a fusing roller is moved in an intersecting direction with the rotational direction of the fusing roller in a contact state with the heating member or the sliding member so as to prevent a scratch from being generated on the surface of the fusing roller or to repair the scratch.

Abstract: The image-forming apparatus and an image-forming method of the present invention stably provides a high-quality image having a surface with a uniform gloss value, without reduction in image density, and with good fixability. The image-forming apparatus and image-forming method of the present invention provide are characterized in that white toner or transparent toner is used under the conditions that the storage elastic modulus of the white toner or transparent toner at a saturated temperature in a fixing nip at the time of an fixing step is set to be higher than the storage elastic modulus at a saturated temperature in the fixing nip of each colored toner at the time of the fixing step, and that the storage elastic modulus G?(T) (W) or G?(T) (To) at the saturated temperature in the fixing nip of the white toner or the transparent toner at the time of the fixing step is in the range of 1.0×104 to 1.0×106 dyn/cm2.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus includes a rotary member that comes into contact with a toner image borne on a recording material, a backup member that forms a nip portion to pinch and convey the recording material with said rotary member, wherein said rotary member heats the toner image on the recording material in the nip portion, a cover member that covers a surface of said rotary member with a gap between the surface of said rotary member and the cover member and a frame that accommodates said rotary member, said backup member and said cover, wherein said cover is not in contact with said frame. This structure can suppress heat dissipation to the exterior of the image heating apparatus, thus suppressing the energy consumption.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus including a rotatable member, a heater for heating the rotatable member, and control means which controls heat generation of the heater, wherein a toner image on a recording material is heated by the rotatable member, the apparatus has a surface condition changing mode for changing a surface condition of the rotatable member, and, when the surface condition changing mode is selected, the control means controls the heat generation of the heater in such a manner that a surface temperature of the rotatable member becomes equal to or higher than a melting temperature of a surface layer of the rotatable member.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, includes a heating member; a flexible member movable in contact with the heating member; an elastic roller for forming a nip with the heating member with the flexible member interposed therebetween; wherein a pressure in the nip increases to a maximum peak toward downstream substantially without decreasing with respect to a moving direction of the recording material, wherein the heating member is disposed upstream of the maximum peak portion with respect to the moving direction of the recording material.

Abstract: The image-forming apparatus and an image-forming method of the present invention stably provides a high-quality image having a surface with a uniform gloss value, without reduction in image density, and with good fixability. The image-forming apparatus and image-forming method of the present invention provide are characterized in that white toner or transparent toner is used under the conditions that the storage elastic modulus of the white toner or transparent toner at a saturated temperature in a fixing nip at the time of an fixing step is set to be higher than the storage elastic modulus at a saturated temperature in the fixing nip of each colored toner at the time of the fixing step, and that the storage elastic modulus G?(T)(W) or G?(T)(To) at the saturated temperature in the fixing nip of the white toner or the transparent toner at the time of the fixing step is in the range of 1.0×104 to 1.0×106 dyn/cm2.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing apparatus including a rotatable member, a heater for heating the rotatable member, and control means which controls a heat generation of the heater, wherein a toner image on a recording material is heated by the rotatable member, the apparatus has a surface condition changing mode for changing a surface condition of the rotatable member, and, when the surface condition changing mode is selected, the control means controls the heat generation of the heater in such a manner that a surface temperature of the rotatable member becomes equal to or higher than a melting temperature of a surface layer of the rotatable member.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, includes a heating member; a flexible member movable in contact with the heating member; an elastic roller for forming a nip with the heating member with the flexible member interposed therebetween; wherein a pressure in the nip increases to a maximum peak toward downstream substantially without decreasing with respect to a moving direction of the recording material, wherein the heating member is disposed upstream of the maximum peak portion with respect to the moving direction of the recording material.

Abstract: The developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member, a developer removing-feeding member and a circulating member, wherein the developer circulating member has a push-in amount to the removing-feeding member equal to or larger than a push-in amount of the developer circulating member to the developer removing-feeding member, thereby preventing toner fusion or generation of uncharged developer by a deterioration of the developer, and realizing stable development over a prolonged period.

Abstract: The developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member, a developer removing-feeding member and a circulating member, wherein the developer circulating member has a push-in amount to the removing-feeding member equal to or larger than a push-in amount of the developer circulating member to the developer removing-feeding member, thereby preventing toner fusion or generation of uncharged developer by a deterioration of the developer, and realizing stable development over a prolonged period.