Abstract: In one embodiment, an operation state, standby state or installation environment of an image forming apparatus is detected or determined, and details of heating control of the surface temperature of rollers of a fixing apparatus are changed in accordance with the detected or determined state or environment. For example, when the operation state is a state in which printing on a last sheet of recording paper in a print job is complete, or when the operation state is a state in which printing on recording paper is interrupted, and, in addition, when the installation environment is a low-temperature and low-humidity environment and the image forming apparatus enters the standby state, heating of the rollers is respectively controlled to prevent unexpected and inappropriate changes in the surface temperature of the rollers.

Abstract: A fusing device includes a pressure member, a heating member, and an external heating member. The heating member has an outer surface in contact with an outer surface of the pressure member. The heating member heats a sheet that is being passed in a first direction through a contact area between the pressure member and the heating member. The external heating member heats a predetermined area of the surface of the heating member from outside. Length of the predetermined area along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction is set shorter than entire length of the heating member along the second direction.

Abstract: In one embodiment, in a standby mode, an endless heating belt is caused to move apart from a hot roller. Furthermore, in color mode, the endless heating belt is caused to contact the hot roller to make possible thermal conduction between the endless heating belt and the hot roller, and a surface temperature of the endless heating belt is adjusted within a prescribed range of 200° C. to 210° C. being higher than a fixing temperature of 180° C. Further still, in monochrome mode, a length (or a surface area) of a heating contact region between the endless heating belt and the hot roller is set to a maximum to increase a thermal conduction efficiency between the endless heating belt and the hot roller, and a surface temperature of the endless heating belt is adjusted within a prescribed range of 210° C. to 220° C. being sufficiently higher than the fixing temperature of 180° C.

Abstract: A fuser unit with a cleaning mechanism, including: a set of a heat roller and a pressure roller for sandwiching a recording sheet while heating the recording sheet by the heat roller; a feed roller for feeding a band-shaped cleaning member which is windable; a press roller for pressing the fed cleaning member against a surface of the heat roller or the pressure roller; a wind roller for winding the cleaning member which is pressed by the press roller; and a first reverse rotation preventing mechanism for preventing rotation of the press roller from rotating in the opposite direction to the winding direction of the cleaning member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus is provided with a fixing roller that fixes a toner image that has been transferred onto a paper, a cleaning member that cleans a circumferential surface of the fixing roller using a metal roller that is idly rotated by contacting the circumferential surface of the fixing roller, a drive control means that, at a predetermined timing, sets a rotation velocity of the fixing roller to high-speed rotation that is faster by a predetermined velocity than a rotation velocity during print processing, a load torque detection means that detects a load torque of a drive source of the fixing roller, and a determination means that determines an extent of smearing of the cleaning member based on a load torque detected by the load torque detection means during high-speed rotation by the drive control means.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus of the present invention, an end section fixing control temperature changing section selects an end section fixing control temperature in accordance with the number of paper sheets that have been processed in one continuous printing process. A sub-heater on/off determining section turns on or off a sub-heater in accordance with a temperature detected by an end section temperature sensor and the end section fixing control temperature selected by the end section fixing control temperature changing section. This prevents the occurrence of fixing failure even in continuous printing with respect to large-size paper sheets in an arrangement in which a temperature sensor is disposed outside a maximum-size sheet passing region at an end section of a fixing roller and controls energization of a heater which is disposed corresponding to the end section of the fixing roller in accordance with a temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus that fuses and firmly adheres an unfixed developer onto a recording medium includes a heating roller and a pressure roller; a belt-shaped cleaning member that is disposed so as to abut on the heating roller and cleans the surface of the heating roller, the cleaning member being impregnated with oil in advance; a feed roller that sends out the cleaning member; a wind-up roller that winds up the cleaning member having cleaned the heating roller; a press-contact roller disposed so as to press the cleaning member against the heating roller on which the cleaning member abuts; and an oil absorbing layer that is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the press-contact roller and absorbs oil exudation out of the cleaning member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus is provided with a fixing roller that fixes a toner image that has been transferred onto a paper, a cleaning member that cleans a circumferential surface of the fixing roller using a metal roller that is idly rotated by contacting the circumferential surface of the fixing roller, a drive control means that, at a predetermined timing, sets a rotation velocity of the fixing roller to high-speed rotation that is faster by a predetermined velocity than a rotation velocity during print processing, a load torque detection means that detects a load torque of a drive source of the fixing roller, and a determination means that determines an extent of smearing of the cleaning member based on a load torque detected by the load torque detection means during high-speed rotation by the drive control means.

Abstract: In the present applying mechanism, a part of a guide sheet 33 bulges (arches) away from an oil application roller 16, with respect to a vertical line S passing through the center of a pipe 31. In other words, in the present applying mechanism, a part of the guide sheet 33 has a shape of avoiding (bypassing) the oil application roller 16 that has a high temperature. With this, oil flowing on the guide sheet 33 is kept away from the high-temperature oil application roller 16. The present applying mechanism can include an edge 50, or gap, in the guide sheet 33 for backing-up flow of oil to before the application roller in order to ensure even distribution of the oil to the application roller. The present applying mechanism can include a narrow gap between the pipe 31 and guide sheet 33.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a feeding roller for feeding a belt-shaped cleaning member which has been rolled up, and a winding roller for taking up the cleaning member which has been fed from the feeding roller and cleaned a surface of the fixing roller, the winding roller being provided so as to pressure-contact the feeding roller. The winding roller is rotated by a time control due to a control portion so that a sum of a feed amount of the cleaning member which is fed by the feeding roller at one feeding occasion, and a take-up amount of the cleaning member which is taken up by the winding roller at one take-up occasion, is equal to or more than a double of a length Ln of a nip section.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an operation state, standby state or installation environment of an image forming apparatus is detected or determined, and details of heating control of the surface temperature of rollers of a fixing apparatus are changed in accordance with the detected or determined state or environment. For example, when the operation state is a state in which printing on a last sheet of recording paper in a print job is complete, or when the operation state is a state in which printing on recording paper is interrupted, and, in addition, when the installation environment is a low-temperature and low-humidity environment and the image forming apparatus enters the standby state, heating of the rollers is respectively controlled to prevent unexpected and inappropriate changes in the surface temperature of the rollers.

Abstract: In one embodiment, in a standby mode, an endless heating belt is caused to move apart from a hot roller. Furthermore, in color mode, the endless heating belt is caused to contact the hot roller to make possible thermal conduction between the endless heating belt and the hot roller, and a surface temperature of the endless heating belt is adjusted within a prescribed range of 200° C. to 210° C. being higher than a fixing temperature of 180° C. Further still, in monochrome mode, a length (or a surface area) of a heating contact region between the endless heating belt and the hot roller is set to a maximum to increase a thermal conduction efficiency between the endless heating belt and the hot roller, and a surface temperature of the endless heating belt is adjusted within a prescribed range of 210° C. to 220° C. being sufficiently higher than the fixing temperature of 180° C.

Abstract: A fuser unit with a cleaning mechanism, including: a set of a heat roller and a pressure roller for sandwiching a recording sheet while heating the recording sheet by the heat roller; a feed roller for feeding a band-shaped cleaning member which is windable; a press roller for pressing the fed cleaning member against a surface of the heat roller or the pressure roller; a wind roller for winding the cleaning member which is pressed by the press roller; and a first reverse rotation preventing mechanism for preventing rotation of the press roller from rotating in the opposite direction to the winding direction of the cleaning member.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus of the present invention, an end section fixing control temperature changing section selects an end section fixing control temperature in accordance with the number of paper sheets that have been processed in one continuous printing process. A sub-heater on/off determining section turns on or off a sub-heater in accordance with a temperature detected by an end section temperature sensor and the end section fixing control temperature selected by the end section fixing control temperature changing section. This prevents the occurrence of fixing failure even in continuous printing with respect to large-size paper sheets in an arrangement in which a temperature sensor is disposed outside a maximum-size sheet passing region at an end section of a fixing roller and controls energization of a heater which is disposed corresponding to the end section of the fixing roller in accordance with a temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: An armored unit includes a side cover and a guide member. When sheet jam operation is carried out, a fixing unit is pulled out with the armored unit, and then is pushed to the rear side. This operation unlocks the lock member provided in the guide member, and a shoulder screw moves in a guide hole. Thus, the fixing unit is moved from the pulled out position toward the rear side and toward the main body of image forming device to be shifted to a receding position. On this account, it is possible to provide an image forming device ensuring sufficient space for removing a jammed sheet by hand with a small opening space.

Abstract: A fusing device includes a pressure member, a heating member, and an external heating member. The heating member has an outer surface in contact with an outer surface of the pressure member. The heating member heats a sheet that is being passed in a first direction through a contact area between the pressure member and the heating member. The external heating member heats a predetermined area of the surface of the heating member from outside. Length of the predetermined area along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction is set shorter than entire length of the heating member along the second direction.

Abstract: A developer storage device includes a storage container which supplies developer to a developing unit when rotated, and a collecting container for storing developer collected from an image forming section. The developer storage device further includes a first attaching and detaching portion allowing the storage container to be attached to and detached from a developer storage device body, and a second attaching and detaching portion allowing the collecting container to be attached to and detached from the developer storage device body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, determining in sorting recording sheets whether or not recording sheet transport interval is shorter than a first predetermined value, sets the longest time settable as a delay time when the interval is longer than the first value. When the interval is shorter than the first value, the apparatus, determining whether or not the interval is shorter than a second predetermined value, sets the shortest delay time settable when the interval is shorter than the second value, and sets a reference delay time when the interval is longer than the second value. The apparatus prevents sheet jam before a sheet eject mechanism by ensuring that the mechanism returns to an initial position before the front end of a following sheet reaches sheet eject rollers after the rear end of a preceding sheet passes through the rollers.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus that fuses and firmly adheres an unfixed developer onto a recording medium includes a heating roller and a pressure roller; a belt-shaped cleaning member that is disposed so as to abut on the heating roller and cleans the surface of the heating roller, the cleaning member being impregnated with oil in advance; a feed roller that sends out the cleaning member; a wind-up roller that winds up the cleaning member having cleaned the heating roller; a press-contact roller disposed so as to press the cleaning member against the heating roller on which the cleaning member abuts; and an oil absorbing layer that is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the press-contact roller and absorbs oil exudation out of the cleaning member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus of the present invention is provided with (i) a roller, to which releaser gets applied (ii) a releaser applying member for applying the releaser on the roller by touching the roller while the roller is rotating, and (iii) a releaser dripping section for dripping the releaser to be applied on the roller by the releaser applying section, the fixing apparatus further including a guiding member for receiving the releaser dripped from the releaser dripping section, and for guiding, along a surface thereof, a certain amount of a total amount of the thus received releaser to a touch position at which the releaser applying member touches the roller.