Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a control unit that executes a long grain feed mode of conveying a long grain recording sheet whose grain direction is in parallel with a conveying direction of the recording sheet and a short grain feed mode of conveying a short grain recording sheet whose grain direction is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the recording sheet, the control unit changing, in accordance to the long grain feed mode and the short grain feed mode, temperature of a first rotating body set by the heating unit and setting of at least either one changeable setting among settings of a pressure-contact mechanism and a driving mechanism configured such that the setting of at least one of them is changeable.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a fixing device configured to fix a toner image onto a sheet by heating the sheet having the toner image formed thereon; a wire-shaped guide configured to guide the sheet having the toner image fixed thereto; and a holder, configured to hold the wire-shaped guide, to which the wire-shaped guide is fixed by using elasticity of the wire-shaped guide.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a control unit that executes a long grain feed mode of conveying a long grain recording sheet whose grain direction is in parallel with a conveying direction of the recording sheet and a short grain feed mode of conveying a short grain recording sheet whose grain direction is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the recording sheet, the control unit changing, in accordance to the long grain feed mode and the short grain feed mode, temperature of a first rotating body set by the heating unit and setting of at least either one changeable setting among settings of a pressure-contact mechanism and a driving mechanism configured such that the setting of at least one of them is changeable.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus comprising: a fixing member for fixing a toner image onto a recording material; a pressure member for pressing the fixing member to form a nip portion by which the recording material is nipped and conveyed; an external heating mechanism including an external heating belt for heating the fixing member by contacting an outer surface thereof; a retraction mechanism configured to retract the external heating mechanism from the fixing member; and a restricting portion for restricting the external heating belt so that the external heating belt is separated from the fixing member when the external heating mechanism is retracted from the fixing member by the retraction mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: a fixing device configured to fix a toner image onto a sheet by heating the sheet having the toner image formed thereon; a wire-shaped guide configured to guide the sheet having the toner image fixed thereto; and a holder, configured to hold the wire-shaped guide, to which the wire-shaped guide is fixed by using elasticity of the wire-shaped guide.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating member for heating a toner image on a recording material in a heating nip, a pressing member for forming the heating nip and being in contact with the heating member, an abrading member for abrading a surface of the heating member, a contact-and-separation device for causing contact and separation of the abrading member with respect to the heating member, and a selecting device for selecting, depending on the basis weight of the recording material to be heated by the heating member, whether or not the contact-and-separation means brings the abrading member into contact with the heating member before a recording material is conveyed to the heating nip.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating member for heating a toner image on a recording material in a heating nip, a pressing member for forming the heating nip and being in contact with the heating member, an abrading member for abrading a surface of the heating member, a contact-and-separation device for causing contact and separation of the abrading member with respect to the heating member, and a selecting device for selecting, depending on the basis weight of the recording material to be heated by the heating member, whether or not the contact-and-separation means brings the abrading member into contact with the heating member before a recording material is conveyed to the heating nip.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus comprising: a fixing member for fixing a toner image onto a recording material; a pressure member for pressing the fixing member to form a nip portion by which the recording material is nipped and conveyed; an external heating portion, including a belt member, for heating an outer surface of the fixing member to heat the fixing member; a separation/contact portion which allows the fixing member and the external heating belt to abut each other or to be separated from each other; and a restricting portion for restricting the external heating belt from directing toward the fixing member by coming in contact with the outer surface of the external heating belt, when the fixing member and the external heating belt are separated from each other.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating member for heating a toner image on a recording material in a heating nip, a pressing member for forming the heating nip and being in contact with the heating member, an abrading member for abrading a surface of the heating member, a contact-and-separation device for causing contact and separation of the abrading member with respect to the heating member; and a selecting device for selecting, depending on the basis weight of the recording material to be heated by the heating member, whether or not the contact-and-separation means brings the abrading member into contact with the heating member before a recording material is conveyed to the heating nip.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus capable of holding an open/close unit at a normal position and capable of inexpensively avoiding conveyance failure and deterioration in image quality. An image heating apparatus includes a fixing an roller 71 and a pressing belt 731, a pressing mechanism 75 which rotates a pressing belt unit 73 having a pressing belt 731 to retract the pressing belt 731 from a pressing contact position, a separation projection 800 which separates the sheet S from the pressing belt 731, and an open/close unit 81 which rotates a separating unit (separation projection 800, division plate 817) to retract the separation projection 800 from a separating position. The pressing belt unit 73 includes a push-up member 840 which locks the separating unit located in the separating position when the pressing belt unit 73 is in the pressing contact position.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus which can easily attach and detach an external heating unit and easily perform a maintenance operation. The image heating apparatus has a fixing apparatus frame 62 which rotatably supports a fixing roller 40, a unit including a pressure spring 35 which urges an external heating roller 53 toward the fixing roller 40, a pressure guide shaft 37 which holds the pressure spring 35, and a pressure stay 38 which slidably supports the pressure guide shaft 37, a screw 61 which detachably fixes the unit to the fixing apparatus frame 62 via the pressure stay 38, and a pressure releasing arm 39 which releases the force of the pressure spring 35 acting on the screw 61 via the pressure stay 38 by sliding the pressure guide shaft 37 relative to the pressure stay 38.

Abstract: A registration unit includes a skew correction roller pair configured to rotate a sheet conveyed from a conveyance roller pair and to correct skew of the sheet. The registration unit sheet further includes a projectable swinging guide arranged between the conveyance roller pair and the skew correction roller pair to deflect the sheet. The skew correction roller pair corrects the skew of the sheet deflected by the swinging guide.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes conveying suction belts which have a function of rotating an adsorbed sheet and a function of conveying the sheet; a suction fan 112 which adsorbs the sheet to the belts; CCDs which detect a position and an skew in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction while the sheet is adsorbed to the belts; and a control device for driving the belts to rotate the sheet according to signals of CCDs in order to correct an attitude of the sheet adsorbed to the belts.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a heating member for heating a toner image on a recording material in a heating nip; a pressing member for forming the heating nip in contact with the heating member; a abrading member for abrading a surface of the heating member; a contact-and-separation device for permitting contact and separation of the abrading member with respect to the heating member; and a selecting device for selecting, depending on a basis weight of the recording material to be heated by said heating member, whether or not the contact-and-separation means brings the abrading member into contact with the pressing member before a recording material is conveyed to the heating nip.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus is provided which includes a first rotary member; a second rotary member configured to convey a sheet with the first rotary member and which is separable from and in contact with the first rotary member; a sheet detecting member which is movable by being pressed by the sheet; and a detecting sensor configured to detect a presence or absence of the sheet based on a position of the member. The sheet detecting member is movable between a detecting position for detecting a presence or absence of the sheet by the detecting sensor in which the sheet detecting member can be pressed by the sheet and a retreat position in which the sheet detecting member is retreated from a sheet conveyed, and the sheet detecting member is moved to the detecting position from the retract position in association with a movement of the second rotary member away from the first rotary member.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus, including: a belt for heating a toner image formed on a sheet in a heating nip portion; a rotary member for forming the heating nip portion in cooperation with the belt and rotating the belt in conjunction with a rotation of the rotary member; a changing device for changing a pressure between the belt and the rotary member; and a warm-up device for starting a rotation of the belt by the rotary member with the pressure between the belt and the rotary member set to a first pressure, and thereafter changing the pressure between the belt and the rotary member from the first pressure to a second pressure higher than the first pressure after a lapse of a predetermined period of time from a start of the rotation of the belt so that the belt is rotated by the rotary member at the second pressure.

Abstract: An air heating mechanism for heating the air which is blown from a loosening/separating nozzle toward the top sheet attracted to an attracting and conveying unit is provided. A control unit controls the air heating mechanism based on moisture content information from a sensor for detecting a moisture content of a sheet supported by the tray.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus capable of holding an open/close unit at a normal position and capable of inexpensively avoiding conveyance failure and deterioration in image quality. An image heating apparatus includes a fixing roller 71 and a pressing belt 731, a pressing mechanism 75 which rotates a pressing belt unit 73 having a pressing belt 731 to retract the pressing belt 731 from a pressing contact position, a separation projection 800 which separates the sheet S from the pressing belt 731, and an open/close unit 81 which rotates a separating unit (separation projection 800, division plate 817) to retract the separation projection 800 from a separating position. The pressing belt unit 73 includes a push-up member 840 which locks the separating unit located in the separating position when the pressing belt unit 73 is in the pressing contact position.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image heating apparatus which can easily attach and detach an external heating unit and easily perform a maintenance operation. The image heating apparatus has a fixing apparatus frame 62 which rotatably supports a fixing roller 40, a unit including a pressure spring 35 which urges an external heating roller 53 toward the fixing roller 40, a pressure guide shaft 37 which holds the pressure spring 35, and a pressure stay 38 which slidably supports the pressure guide shaft 37, a screw 61 which detachably fixes the unit to the fixing apparatus frame 62 via the pressure stay 38, and a pressure releasing arm 39 which releases the force of the pressure spring 35 acting on the screw 61 via the pressure stay 38 by sliding the pressure guide shaft 37 relative to the pressure stay 38.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable heating member configured to heat an image on a recording medium at a nip, driving means configured to drive the heating member, an endless belt configured to form the nip with the heating member, and a driving roller configured to drive the endless belt. In the image heating apparatus, the following expressions are satisfied: ?2<?1 0.005<?2<0.3 V1<V2 where ?2 is a friction coefficient between the endless belt and the driving roller, ?1 is a friction coefficient between the heating member and the endless belt, V1 is a peripheral speed of the heating member, and V2 is a peripheral speed of the driving roller.