Abstract: A fixing device includes a belt member, a heating roller stretching the belt member, a steering roller stretching the belt member and a cover member. The steering roller controls a position of the belt member with respect to a rotation axis direction of the heating roller by tilting with respect to the rotation axis direction. The cover member is disposed with a gap from the belt member in such a manner as to cover a part of an outer side of the belt member. A distance between the cover member and the belt member in a first stretched region stretched by the steering roller is larger than a distance between the cover member and the belt member in a second stretched region stretched by the heating roller in a case where the steering roller is parallel to the heating roller.

Abstract: A fixing device for heating a toner image on a recording material includes an endless belt, a rotatable member, a pad disposed inside the belt so as to nip the belt between the pad and the rotatable member, and first and second stretching rollers in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The second stretching member is disposed in a downstream side of the first stretching roller and an upstream side of the pad with respect to a rotational direction of the belt. A heater heats the belt by heating the second stretching roller. A lubricant applying member is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt in the downstream side of the first stretching roller and an upstream side of the second stretching roller with respect to the rotational direction, and applies a lubricant to the inner peripheral surface of the belt.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes an endless belt, a rotatable member to form a nip, first and second stretching rollers in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the belt, first and second heaters to heat the first and second stretching rollers, respectively. An amount of heat generation of the first heater is larger than an amount of heat generation of the second heater. At a start up of the fixing device, heating of the first heater is started by a first electric power prior to heating of the second heater, and the heating of the second heater is started by a second electric power smaller than the first electric power after a temperature of the first stretching member reaches a target temperature.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt configured to heat a recording material, a pressure roller contacting an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt to form a nip portion, and a pad, wherein a length of the endless belt is larger than a length of the pad in a width direction of the endless belt, and the pad includes a first surface forming the nip portion, a second surface facing the first surface, and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface in the width direction and formed in a conveyance direction of the recording material, and wherein the third surface has a curved shape in a cross section orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording material.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fixing device including: an endless belt member that is rotatably provided; a pressure member that abuts on the belt member to form a nip; and a heating member that is provided in contact with or not in contact with the belt member and is configured to heat the belt member; wherein when a length of the belt member that faces the heating member in a contact or non-contact manner in a rotation direction of the belt member is defined as a heating length Lh, and a length of the belt member that abuts on the pressure member in the rotation direction of the belt member is defined as a nip length Ln, the heating length Lh is set with respect to the nip length Ln to satisfy a relationship, ?2.5*Ln+75?Lh?95 and 16?Ln?27.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a rotating member, a pad disposed inside the belt so as to nip the belt between itself and the rotating member and form a nip, a sliding member disposed between the pad and the belt. The pad includes a curved portion which is curved so as to directly contact the belt in a downstream side of the nip in a conveyance direction of the recording material. The curved portion includes a first portion positioned in a downstream side, in the conveyance direction, of a passing through region where a recording material with a maximum size passes through the nip and a second portion positioned in a downstream side of a non-passing through region outside of the passing through region in a widthwise direction. A radius of curvature of the second portion is larger than that of curvature of the first portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt configured to heat a recording material, a pressure member contacting an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt to form a nip portion, and a pad. A length of the endless belt is larger than a length of the pad in a width direction of the endless belt. The pad includes a first surface forming the nip portion, a second surface facing the first surface, and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface in the width direction and formed in a conveyance direction of the recording material. And the third surface has a curved shape in a cross section orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording material.

Abstract: An induction method for a macrophage is provided, in which macrophages are cultured in the presence of exosomes produced from a mesenchymal stem cell to which interferon gamma has been added and are induced into anti-inflammatory macrophages. An anti-inflammatory macrophage-inducing agent includes exosomes produced from a mesenchymal stem cell to which interferon gamma has been added, as an active component. A pharmaceutical composition contains the inducing agent.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless and rotatable belt of which an inner peripheral surface is applied with lubricant, a heater, a rotatable member to rotatably contact the belt and a nip forming member in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a holding portion, an upstream sliding portion and a downstream sliding portion. The downstream and upstream sliding portions have first and second sliding surfaces sliding with the inner peripheral surface of the belt, respectively. The second sliding surface has a curved shape, and when a force applied to the belt with respect to a length of the second sliding surface is defined as w (N/mm) and a curvature radius of the second sliding surface is defined as R (mm), R/w of the second sliding surface is equal to 5 (mm2/N) or larger and equal to 80 (mm2/N) or less.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a belt member, a heating roller stretching the belt member, a steering roller stretching the belt member and a cover member. The steering roller controls a position of the belt member with respect to a rotation axis direction of the heating roller by tilting with respect to the rotation axis direction. The cover member is disposed with a gap from the belt member in such a manner as to cover a part of an outer side of the belt member. A distance between the cover member and the belt member in a first stretched region stretched by the steering roller is larger than a distance between the cover member and the belt member in a second stretched region stretched by the heating roller in a case where the steering roller is parallel to the heating roller.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt, a stretching roller, a stretching member, a pressing member, a rubbing member, a moving unit configured to move the rubbing member between a first position at which the rubbing member is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the belt and a second position at which the rubbing member is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the belt, and a steering roller. In a case where the rubbing member is located at the second position, a region of the belt rubbed by the rubbing member is sandwiched between the stretching roller and the rubbing member. In a case where the rubbing member is located at the first position, the region of the belt rubbed by the rubbing member is separated from the stretching roller and the rubbing member.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless and rotatable belt of which an inner peripheral surface is applied with lubricant, a heater, a rotatable member to rotatably contact the belt and a nip forming member in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a holding portion, an upstream sliding portion and a downstream sliding portion. The downstream and upstream sliding portions have first and second sliding surfaces sliding with the inner peripheral surface of the belt, respectively. The second sliding surface has a curved shape, and when a force applied to the belt with respect to a length of the second sliding surface is defined as w (N/mm) and a curvature radius of the second sliding surface is defined as R (mm), R/w of the second sliding surface is equal to 5 (mm2/N) or larger and equal to 80 (mm2/N) or less.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt configured to heat a recording material, a pressure member contacting an outer circumferential surface of the endless belt to form a nip portion, and a pad, wherein a length of the endless belt is larger than a length of the pad in a width direction of the endless belt, and the pad includes a first surface forming the nip portion, a second surface facing the first surface, and a third surface connecting the first surface and the second surface in the width direction and formed in a conveyance direction of the recording material, and wherein the third surface has a curved shape in a cross section orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording material.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless and rotatable belt of which an inner peripheral surface is applied with lubricant, a heater, a rotatable member to rotatably contact the belt and a nip forming member in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a holding portion, an upstream sliding portion and a downstream sliding portion. The downstream and upstream sliding portions have first and second sliding surfaces sliding with the inner peripheral surface of the belt, respectively. The second sliding surface has a curved shape, and when a force applied to the belt with respect to a length of the second sliding surface is defined as w (N/mm) and a curvature radius of the second sliding surface is defined as R (mm), R/w of the second sliding surface is equal to 5 (mm2/N) or larger and equal to 80 (mm2/N) or less.

Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless and rotatable belt of which an inner peripheral surface is applied with lubricant, a heater, a rotatable member to rotatably contact the belt and a nip forming member in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a holding portion, an upstream sliding portion and a downstream sliding portion. The downstream and upstream sliding portions have first and second sliding surfaces sliding with the inner peripheral surface of the belt, respectively. The second sliding surface has a curved shape, and when a force applied to the belt with respect to a length of the second sliding surface is defined as w (N/mm) and a curvature radius of the second sliding surface is defined as R (mm), R/w of the second sliding surface is equal to 5 (mm2/N) or larger and equal to 80 (mm2/N) or less.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating rotary member, a pressure rotary member, a nip portion formed by the rotary members, a temperature adjustment control section controlling a temperature of the heating rotary member to a target temperature, a cleaning web removing toner adhering to the heating rotary member, and a controller selectively executing one of a cleaning mode and a non-cleaning mode. A first basis weight and a second basis weight greater than the first predetermined basis weight are set, in a job that mixedly uses recording media with the first and second basis weights. When the controller executes the non-cleaning mode, the temperature adjustment control section sets a target temperature of a recording medium with a basis weight less than or equal to the first basis weight to a temperature lower than a target temperature of the recording medium in the cleaning mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heating rotary member, a pressure rotary member, a nip portion formed by the rotary members, a temperature adjustment control section controlling a temperature of the heating rotary member to a target temperature, a cleaning web removing toner adhering to the heating rotary member, and a controller selectively executing one of a cleaning mode and a non-cleaning mode. A first basis weight and a second basis weight greater than the first predetermined basis weight are set, in a job that mixedly uses recording media with the first and second basis weights. When the controller executes the non-cleaning mode, the temperature adjustment control section sets a target temperature of a recording medium with a basis weight less than or equal to the first basis weight to a temperature lower than a target temperature of the recording medium in the cleaning mode.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a sheet includes a rotatable fixing belt; a heating roller wherein the belt is stretched and entrained around the heating roller to heat the belt; a pressing pad of resin material provided inside of the belt; a rotatable pressing member contacting an outer peripheral surface of the belt and pressing against the pad through the belt to form a nip configured to nip and feed the sheet; a supporting metal stay supporting the pad and including a planar bottom surface faced to the pad; and projected portions integrally molded with the pad and provided along a widthwise direction of the pad, the projected portions projecting and contacting to the bottom surface such that the pad is supported by the stay. A contact area between the projected portions and the bottom surface is not less than 5% and not more than 40% of the area of the bottom surface.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing belt, a pad, a rotatable pressing member, a pressing member driving source, an auxiliary driving roller, and a transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force from the pressing member driving source to the auxiliary driving roller, wherein a peripheral speed of the auxiliary driving roller is faster than a peripheral speed of the pressing member, and a steering roller provided so as to stretch the fixing belt at the inner surface of the fixing belt in a position downstream of the auxiliary driving roller and upstream the pad with respect to a rotational direction of the fixing belt. The steering roller adjusts a position of the fixing belt with respect to a widthwise direction of the fixing belt by inclining the fixing belt so as to be positioned within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An induction method for a macrophage is provided, in which macrophages are cultured in the presence of exosomes produced from a mesenchymal stem cell to which interferon gamma has been added and are induced into anti-inflammatory macrophages. An anti-inflammatory macrophage-inducing agent includes exosomes produced from a mesenchymal stem cell to which interferon gamma has been added, as an active component. A pharmaceutical composition contains the inducing agent.