Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt looped over a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to decrease a radius of curvature of the fixing belt. A polishing roller, disposed downstream from the separation aid and upstream from the second roller in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt. An opposed roller, disposed opposite the polishing roller via the fixing belt, forms a polishing nip between the polishing roller and the fixing belt.

Abstract: In an amorphous core transformer, an amorphous core is constructed such that, when a plurality of kinds of amorphous magnetic strips having different widths are arranged in abutting relation and laminated, the amorphous magnetic strips are alternated in arrangement for lamination so that abutting surfaces of the arranged and laminated amorphous magnetic strips are displaced with respect to one another. Thus, hours of wrapping work are drastically reduced and working efficiency is improved.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet, a fixing device including a fixing member that fixes the image formed on the sheet and a polishing device that polishes a surface of the fixing member, and circuitry that determines whether an interruption required operation is to be performed, at a time while image formation is being performed by the image forming device to execute an image forming job, or at a time after image formation is executed for one job and before image formation is to be executed for a subsequent job, controls the image forming device to stop image formation to perform the interruption required operation, based on a determination indicating that the interruption required operation is to be performed, and controls the polishing device to polish the surface of the fixing member concurrently with the interruption required operation.

Abstract: A cooling device, which is includable to an image forming apparatus, includes a conveyor, a cooler, and at least one roller. The conveyor conveys a recording medium with a first roller and a second roller each of which is in a loop. The cooler is disposed within the loop of the second belt and cools the recording medium discharged from a fixing device. The at least one roller is a roller within the loop of the first belt and between a first end roller disposed at an end of the first belt facing a plane of a conveyance path. Alternatively, the at least one roller is multiple rollers within the loop of the first belt and contacts an inner circumferential surface of the first belt against the cooler and an upstream roller of the multiple rollers has a smallest pressing force of the multiple rollers.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt looped over a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt to decrease a radius of curvature of the fixing belt. A polishing roller, disposed downstream from the separation aid and upstream from the second roller in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt, contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt. An opposed roller, disposed opposite the polishing roller via the fixing belt, forms a polishing nip between the polishing roller and the fixing belt.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heater, a fixing rotator, a pressure rotator, a slider, and a controller. The fixing rotator is heated by the heater. The pressure rotator presses at least a portion of the fixing rotator and forms a nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing rotator. The fixing rotator fixes an unfixed toner image on a recording material in the nip. The slider slides over a surface of the fixing rotator. The controller causes the slider to perform a first sliding operation for a predetermined time after a predetermined condition is satisfied. The controller causes the slider to perform a second sliding operation for a time equal to or less than the predetermined time at earlier timing than when the predetermined condition is satisfied, in addition to the first sliding operation.

Abstract: A sheet separation device includes a separator disposed to contact one face of a sheet conveyed through a nip between conveyors contacting each other. The separator configured to separate from surfaces of the conveyors the sheet conveyed through the nip. The separator includes a conveyance face and a slanted face. The conveyance face is configured to contact and convey the sheet conveyed through the nip. The slanted face is disposed closer to the nip than the conveyance face and inclined with respect to the conveyance face toward one conveyor of the conveyors at a same side as the one face of the sheet.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a guide disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A pressure rotator side separator, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction, includes an opposed tip disposed opposite an outer circumferential surface of the pressure rotator and a separation-conveyance face that separates the recording medium from the pressure rotator. The opposed tip and the separation-conveyance face define a hypothetical circle having a curvature not smaller than 1/20 that intersects a guide face of the guide at an intersection at which a hypothetical tangent is tangent to the hypothetical circle. The hypothetical tangent and the guide face define a downstream intersection angle that is downstream from the hypothetical tangent in the recording medium conveyance direction and is greater than 90 degrees.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical heat roller; a plurality of heaters disposed inside the heat roller, extending along a longitudinal axis of the heat roller; and a heat adjuster, disposed among the plurality of heaters, to adjust heat from one to another of the plurality of heaters. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section to form an image on a recording medium; and the fixing device as described above, to fix the image onto the recording medium.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt stretched taut across a first roller and a second roller and rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation. A pressure rotator is pressed against the first roller via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the fixing belt, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A separation aid, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt to separate the recording medium from the fixing belt, includes a contact face contacting an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt and a bulge disposed at a center of the contact face in a longitudinal direction of the separation aid. The bulge projects toward the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt relative to each lateral end of the contact face in the longitudinal direction of the separation aid.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first roller contacting a fixing belt to generate a rotation friction force therebetween to rotate the fixing belt and a second roller contacting the fixing belt to exert a first inhibition force to the fixing belt in a direction opposite a direction of rotation of the fixing belt. A separation aid is disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between the fixing belt and a pressure rotator in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt to decrease a curvature of the fixing belt and exert a second inhibition force to the fixing belt in the direction opposite the direction of rotation of the fixing belt. The second inhibition force is added to the first inhibition force to obtain a combined inhibition force that is smaller than the rotation friction force between the fixing belt and the first roller.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a guide disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between a fixing rotator and a pressure rotator, through which a recording medium is conveyed. A pressure rotator side separator, disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction, includes an opposed tip disposed opposite an outer circumferential surface of the pressure rotator and a separation-conveyance face that separates the recording medium from the pressure rotator. The opposed tip and the separation-conveyance face define a hypothetical circle having a curvature not smaller than 1/20 that intersects a guide face of the guide at an intersection at which a hypothetical tangent is tangent to the hypothetical circle. The hypothetical tangent and the guide face define a downstream intersection angle that is downstream from the hypothetical tangent in the recording medium conveyance direction and is greater than 90 degrees.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt stretched taut across a fixing rotator and a support rotator. A pressure rotator is pressed against the fixing rotator via the fixing belt to form a fixing nip between the fixing belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. The pressure rotator includes a recess defining an outer diameter of each lateral end of the pressure rotator in an axial direction thereof that is greater than an outer diameter of a center of the pressure rotator in the axial direction thereof. A first separator is disposed downstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction and contacts an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The first separator is isolated from the pressure rotator and includes a projection disposed opposite the recess of the pressure rotator.

Abstract: A cooling device, which is includable to an image forming apparatus, includes a conveyor, a cooler, and at least one roller. The conveyor conveys a recording medium with a first roller and a second roller each of which is in a loop. The cooler is disposed within the loop of the second belt and cools the recording medium discharged from a fixing device. The at least one roller is a roller within the loop of the first belt and between a first end roller disposed at an end of the first belt facing a plane of a conveyance path. Alternatively, the at least one roller is multiple rollers within the loop of the first belt and contacts an inner circumferential surface of the first belt against the cooler and an upstream roller of the multiple rollers has a smallest pressing force of the multiple rollers.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an elastic rotator and a cooler disposed opposite the rotator to cool the rotator with cooling air. A mover contacts and moves the rotator to a first position where the rotator is disposed opposite the cooler with an increased first interval therebetween and a second position where the rotator is disposed opposite the cooler with a decreased second interval therebetween. A rectification plate is movably mounted on the cooler to contact the rotator constantly to guide the cooling air to the cooler.

Abstract: A transformer wherein the upper portions of cores are supported by a first supporting member disposed on first end surfaces of the upper portions of the cores, and a second supporting member disposed on second end surfaces of the upper portions of the cores, the first and second supporting members extend in the direction perpendicular to the faces of a magnetic material, and the cores are interposed between the first upper core supporting member and the second upper core supporting member; the first and second upper core supporting members are provided with hooks, the hooks of the first supporting member extending toward the second supporting member and the hooks of the second supporting member extending toward the first supporting member; bridging members are disposed on the opposing pairs of the hooks of the first and second upper core supporting members; and the cores are supported by the bridging members.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotary fuser member, a rotary pressure member, and a cleaning system. The rotary fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotary pressure member is disposed opposite the fuser member. The fuser member and the pressure member are pressed against each other to form a fixing nip therebetween. The cleaning system is disposed adjacent to the pressure member to clean the pressure member, and includes a cleaning web, a web supply mechanism, and a controller. The cleaning web is disposed in contact with the pressure member to wipe the pressure member. The web supply mechanism is operatively connected to the cleaning web to supply a new, unused portion of the cleaning web to the pressure member. The controller is operatively connected to the web supply mechanism to control a web supply amount by which the cleaning web is supplied to the pressure member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a first roller contacting a fixing belt to generate a rotation friction force therebetween to rotate the fixing belt and a second roller contacting the fixing belt to exert a first inhibition force to the fixing belt in a direction opposite a direction of rotation of the fixing belt. A separation aid is disposed downstream from a fixing nip formed between the fixing belt and a pressure rotator in the direction of rotation of the fixing belt to decrease a curvature of the fixing belt and exert a second inhibition force to the fixing belt in the direction opposite the direction of rotation of the fixing belt. The second inhibition force is added to the first inhibition force to obtain a combined inhibition force that is smaller than the rotation friction force between the fixing belt and the first roller.