Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing member which includes a surface layer including fluorine rubber having an ether bond and a polysiloxane having a polyether structure, and which has excellent adhesion between the surface layer and a substrate. A fixing member is provided including a substrate, an adhesion layer and a surface layer disposed in contact with the adhesion layer, wherein the surface layer includes fluorine rubber having an ether bond and a polysiloxane having a polyether structure, and wherein the adhesion layer contains a polyorganosiloxane resin and an existence ratio of carbon combining with oxygen to silicon combining with oxygen in the adhesion layer is 1.0 or more and 20.0 or less.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing member which includes a surface layer including fluorine rubber having an ether bond and a polysiloxane having a polyether structure, and which has excellent adhesion between the surface layer and a substrate. A fixing member is provided including a substrate, an adhesion layer and a surface layer disposed in contact with the adhesion layer, wherein the surface layer includes fluorine rubber having an ether bond and a polysiloxane having a polyether structure, and wherein the adhesion layer contains a polyorganosiloxane resin and an existence ratio of carbon combining with oxygen to silicon combining with oxygen in the adhesion layer is 1.0 or more and 20.0 or less.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heater: a rotatable member movable while being in contact with contact, the rotatable member including a metal layer and an elastic layer: a pressing member cooperative with the heater to form a nip for nipping and feeding a recording material; wherein the metal layer has a thickness which is not less than 10 ?m and not more than 60 ?m, and wherein a pressure per unit length with respect to a longitudinal direction of the nip is not less than 0.39N/mm and not more than 0.98N/mm.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heater; a rotatable member movable while being in contact with contact, the rotatable member including a metal layer and an elastic layer; a pressing member cooperative with the heater to form a nip for nipping and feeding a recording material; wherein the metal layer has a thickness which is not less than 10 &mgr;m and not more than 60 &mgr;m, and wherein a pressure per unit length with respect to a longitudinal direction of the nip is not less than 0.39 N/mm and not more than 0.

Abstract: A roller has an elastic layer formed by curing a silicone rubber material containing at least expanded resin microballons, wherein, when the roller is placed in a vacuum chamber in which atmospheric pressure is reduced to 0.001 MPa or less over 2 minutes, the roller has a gas permeability indicating the recovery characteristic where an increased amount of the thickness of the elastic layer after 10 minutes from the start of evacuation is two-thirds or less of the maximum increased amount of thickness of the elastic layer during a 10 minute period from the start of evacuation. The elastic layer is formed by curing a silicone rubber material containing the expanded resin microballoons and has air void portions formed by breaking the resin microballoons and passages connecting the air void portions therebetween.

Abstract: The invention provides a roll member capable of preventing a sheet of recording paper from wrinkling. A metal compound MmXn and an inorganic fine powder are added to a silicone rubber layer forming the surface layer of the roll member. In the compound formula, M is a cation selected from among ions of Al, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga, and X is an anion selected from among ions of halogens, inorganic acids and organic acids.

Abstract: A heating assembly having a press roller which has an elastic layer incorporated dispersedly with voids formed by resin microballoons. The press roller has a low thermal conductivity, hence heat from a heating means can effectively be utilized. It has also a low hardness, so that a pressure contact nip formed between it and the heating means can be made wider.

Abstract: A fluorine-containing resin-coated pressure roller exhibiting excellent anti-toner soiling characteristic even at low roller temperatures is provided. The pressure roller includes a cylindrical metal substrate, and a rubber elastic layer, an adhesive layer and a fluorine-containing resin release layer disposed in this order on and successively coating the cylindrical metal substrate. The pressure roller has a surface exhibiting a micro-rubber hardness of at most 50 deg., a contact angle with water of at least 105 deg. and a ten point-average surface roughness Rz of at most 3.0 &mgr;m. The pressure roller may be suitably combined with a fixing film to provide a film heating-type fixing device suitably used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A blade for regulating the amount of a release oil to be supplied is placed so as to abut on a fixing member or on a member for controlling the amount of the release oil to be supplied to the fixing member. The abutting surface of the blade is composed of a silicone rubber layer. Alternatively, the blade includes a plate-shaped elastic body and a silicone rubber layer formed on the tip of the elastic body. A fixing device including the blade and an image-forming apparatus including the fixing device are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides an elastic body having a small volume change caused by the change in temperature, a roller having a small change in outer diameter thereof caused by an increase in temperature of the roller during operation, a manufacturing method therefor, and a heating and fixing device which can maintain a constant processing speed. The roller has an elastic layer formed by curing a silicone rubber material containing at least expanded resin microballoons, wherein, when the roller is placed in a vacuum chamber in which atmospheric pressure is reduced to 0.001 MPa or less over 2 minutes, the roller has a gas permeability indicating the recovery characteristic where an increased amount of the thickness of the elastic layer after 10 minutes from the start of evacuation is two-thirds or less of the maximum increased amount of the thickness of the elastic layer during a 10 minutes period from the start of evacuation.

Abstract: The invention provides a roll member capable of avoiding a sheet of recording paper from wrinkling. A metal compound MmXn and an inorganic fine powder are added to a silicone rubber layer forming a surface layer of the roll member. In the compound formula, M is a cation selected from among ions of Al, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga, and X is an anion selected from among ions of halogens, inorganic acids and organic acids.

Abstract: A fixing-unit roller has a fixing roller and/or a pressure roller in which a composite material of an organopolysiloxane and a fluoroelastomer containing no fluorine resin or containing a fluorine resin is used as an elastic material of at least the outermost layer. The composite material has an island-in-sea structure wherein the organopolysiloxane stands as a sea phase and the fluoroelastomer containing no fluorine resin or containing a fluorine resin stands as an island phase. The particles of the island phase have a size ranging from 1 &mgr;m to 10 &mgr;m. The fixing-unit roller has superior toner releasability and superior scratch resistance and wear resistance.

Abstract: A heat-pressure fixing device for fixing a toner image is composed of a fixing member, a pressure member and an oil applicator for applying dimethylsilicone oil as a release oil. The fixing member is surfaced with dimethylsilicone rubber having a storage modulus E' satisfying 1.0.times.10.sup.6 dyn/cm.sup.2 <E'<1.5.times.10.sup.7 dyn/cm.sup.2 and a loss modulus E" satisfying 1.0.times.10.sup.5 dyn/cm.sup.2 <E"<7.5.times.10.sup.5 dyn/cm.sup.2, and exhibits a good release performance at a low dimethylsilicone oil application rate of 1-20 mg/A4-size (621 cm.sup.2).