Abstract: A heater usable with an image heating apparatus includes contacts including at least one first contact provided on a substrate and connectable with a first terminal, and second contacts provided on the substrate and connectable with a second terminal; electrodes arranged in a longitudinal direction of the substrate with predetermined gaps; electroconductive lines connecting the electrodes with respective ones of the contacts such that the electrode connected with the first contact and the electrode connected with the second contacts are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the substrate; and heat generating portions, provided between adjacent electrodes, respectively, for generating heat by electric power supply between adjacent electrodes, wherein all of the first contacts are provided in one end portion of the substrate with respect to the longitudinal direction, and all of the second contacts are provided in the other end portion with respect to the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A calculating device for calculating a lifetime of a rotatable member for heating a toner image on a recording material at a nip includes a first acquiring portion configured to acquire a rotation time of the rotatable member; an accumulating portion configured to accumulate the rotation time of the rotatable member acquired by the first acquiring portion; and a second acquiring portion configured to acquire a temperature of the rotatable member. The accumulating portion accumulates the rotation time of the rotatable member acquired by the first acquiring portion after weighting is made on the basis of the temperature of the rotatable member acquired by the second acquiring portion.

Abstract: A fixing member is provided, including a release layer containing a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), wherein a content of the perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether (PAVE) based on all PFAs in the release layer is 3.0 mol % or more and 5.8 mol % or less, and an elastic layer having an indentation elastic modulus EITs at a surface thereof and an indentation elastic modulus EITc at a position in a depth of 50 ?m from the surface, EITs and EITc being measured at a temperature of 150° C., and EITs is larger than EITc and EITc being 17 MPa or more and 24 MPa or less.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes: an electric energy supplying portion, an endless belt and a heater. The heater includes a substrate, electrode portions including first electrode portions and second electrode portions, a plurality of heat generating portions, and a connecting circuit. The electric energy supplying portion supplies electric energy to the first heat generating portions when a sheet having a predetermined width is heated, and supplies electric energy to the first heat generating portions and the second heat generating portions when a sheet having a width broader than the predetermined width is heated. The connecting circuit includes a single interrupting element configured to interrupt electric energy supply from the electric energy supplying portion to the heater. The interrupting element is provided so as to establish the positional relationship that the interrupting element opposes the first heat generating portions with respect to a longitudinal direction of the substrate.

Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, a first electrical contact, second electrical contacts, first electrode portions and second electrode portions, heat generating portions, a first electroconductive line portion, and a second electroconductive line portion. The heat generating portions are disposed so as to be offset from a center line of the substrate with respect to a widthwise direction of the substrate.

Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, a first electrical contact, a plurality of second electrical contacts, a plurality of electrode portions including first electrode portions electrically connected with the first electrical contact and second electrode portions electrically connected with the second electrical contacts, the first electrode portions and the second electrode portions being arranged alternately with predetermined gaps in a longitudinal direction of the substrate, and a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent ones of the electrode portions so as to electrically connect between adjacent electrode portion. The heat generating portions are capable of generating heat by the electric power supply between adjacent electrode portions. A part of the second electrical contacts is selectably electrically connectable with the second terminal. The electrode portions are covered with the heat generating portions so as to be positioned between the substrate and the heat generating portions.

Abstract: A heater includes: a substrate; a first electrical contact; second electrical contacts; first and second electrodes; heat generating portions; a first electroconductive line portion electrically connecting the first electrical contact and the first electrode portions; and a second electroconductive line portion electrically connecting one of the second electrical contacts and a part of the second electrode portions. A cross-sectional area of a portion, of the first electroconductive line portion, into which all of currents flowing through the first electrode portions merge when the currents flow from the first electrode portions toward the first electrical contact is larger than a cross-sectional area of a portion, of the second electroconductive line portion, into which all of currents flowing through the part of the second electrode portions merge when the currents flow from the part of the second electrode portions toward the one of second electrical contacts.

Abstract: A heater usable with an image heating apparatus including first and second terminals. The heater includes: first and second electrodes connectable to the first and second terminals, respectively, and extending longitudinally; heat generating portions between adjacent electrodes; a first electroconductive line connected with the first electrodes and extending with a gap between the heat generating portions; a second electroconductive line connected with the second electrodes connected with the heat generating portions in a first heat generating region; and a third electroconductive line connected with one of the second electrodes connected with the heat generating portions in a second heat generating region and extending adjacent to the second electric line. A gap between the second and third electroconductive lines in the widthwise direction is smaller than the gap between the first and second electrodes in the widthwise direction.

Abstract: A heater includes: a substrate; a first electrical contact; a plurality of second electrical contacts; an electroconductive line portion electrically connected with the first electrical contact; a plurality of electrode portions including first electrode portions electrically connected with the first electrical contact through the electroconductive line portion and second electrode portions electrically connected with the second electrical contacts; and a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent ones of the electrode portions. The cross-section of the electroconductive line portion in a side closer to the first electrical contact than the plurality of heat generating portions with respect to the longitudinal direction is larger than the cross-section of a predetermined electrode portion, between adjacent heat generating portions, of the plurality of electrode portions.

Abstract: A heater usable with an image heating apparatus including first and second terminals includes: a first connector connectable with the first terminal; a second connector connectable with the second terminal and positioned with a gap from the first connector in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; a third connector connectable with the second terminal; a fourth connector connectable with the second terminal and positioned with a gap from the third connector in the widthwise; and heat generators arranged in the longitudinal direction. The heat generators include heat generators activatable by the first connector and the second connector, by the first connector and the third connector, and by the first connector and the fourth connector. A gap between the third connector and the fourth connector in the widthwise direction is smaller than a gap between the first connector and the second connector in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, a first electrical contact, second electrical contacts, first electrode portions and second electrode portions, heat generating portions, a first electroconductive line portion, and a second electroconductive line portion. The heat generating portions are disposed so as to be offset from a center line of the substrate with respect to a widthwise direction of the substrate.

Abstract: A fixing member used for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes: a base layer; and a porous elastic layer provided on the base layer and containing a needle-like filler. The elastic layer has a thermal conductivity with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof in a first region where the elastic layer is contactable to the recording material on the fixing member, and the thermal conductivity is 6 times to 900 times a thermal conductivity with respect to a thickness direction in the first region. The elastic layer has a thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction thereof in a second region outside the first region with respect to the longitudinal direction, and the thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction in the second region is larger than the thermal conductivity with respect to the thickness direction in the first region.

Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, electrode portions, electrical contact portions, heat generating portions, and electroconductive line portions. The electrode portions include first group electrode portions and second group electrode portions. The electroconductive line portions include a main line portion extending from the electrical contact portions in the longitudinal direction, a first branch line portion branching from the main line portion so as to electrically connect with a first electrode portion of the first group electrode portions, and a second branch line portion branching from the main line portion so as to electrically connect with a second electrode portion of the first group electrode portions. The second electrode portion is spaced farther from the electrical contact portions than the first electrode portion in the longitudinal direction, and the electric resistance of the first branch line portion is larger than the electric resistance of the second branch line portion.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable heating member and a rotatable pressing member which are configured to fix a toner image on a recording material in a nip therebetween; and a heating mechanism configured to selectively heat regions of the rotatable heating member depending on sizes of the recording material when the sizes are predetermined ones of all sizes usable in the fixing device. The rotatable pressing member includes a base layer and a porous elastic layer provided on the base layer and containing a needle-like filler. The elastic layer having a thermal conductivity, with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof, which is 6 times to 900 times a thermal conductivity with respect to a thickness direction thereof.

Abstract: Provided is a means for inhibiting a function of CD69, whereby allowing suppression of an inflammatory response. That is, provided are: a composition for treating an inflammatory disease which includes an antibody that specifically recognizes a myosin regulatory light chain polypeptide (hereinafter abbreviated as Myl), preferably Myl9, Myl12a, and Myl12b, and inhibits a result of an effect of coexistence of Myl with CD69; a method of treating an inflammatory disease, including administering, to a subject diagnosed as having an inflammatory disease, a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody; and a method of identifying a compound that inhibits a result of an effect of coexistence of Myl with CD69, and a method of identifying a candidate compound for treating an inflammatory disease, including selecting a compound that inhibits the result.

Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, electrode portions, electrical contact portions, heat generating portions, and electroconductive line portions. The electrode portions include first group electrode portions and second group electrode portions. The electroconductive line portions include a main line portion extending from the electrical contact portions in the longitudinal direction, a first branch line portion branching from the main line portion so as to electrically connect with a first electrode portion of the first group electrode portions, and a second branch line portion branching from the main line portion so as to electrically connect with a second electrode portion of the first group electrode portions. The second electrode portion is spaced from the electrical contact portions more than the first electrode portion in the longitudinal direction, and an electric resistance of the first branch line portion is larger than an electric resistance of the second branch line portion.

Abstract: A heater includes a substrate, a first electrical contact, a plurality of second electrical contacts, a plurality of electrode portions including first electrode portions electrically connected with the first electrical contact and second electrode portions electrically connected with the second electrical contacts, the first electrode portions and the second electrode portions being arranged alternately with predetermined gaps in a longitudinal direction of the substrate, and a plurality of heat generating portions provided between adjacent ones of the electrode portions so as to electrically connect between adjacent electrode portions, the heat generating portions being capable of generating heat by the electric power supply between adjacent electrode portions. A part of the second electrical contacts is selectably electrically connectable with the second terminal.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a first member that is heated by a heat source and is rotatable; a second member that is rotatable, the second member forming a nip portion capable of sandwiching a recording material between the first member and the second member; and a pressure member that is disposed inside the first member, has a surface coming into contact with an inner surface of the first member, and pressurizes the first member against the second member, in which the pressure member has a surface layer forming the surface of the pressure member coming into contact with the inner surface of the first member, and the surface layer includes a diamond-like carbon film having an sp3 bond ratio of 40% or more and 90% or less.