Continuous Web Patents (Class 399/329)
  • Patent number: 11079706
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a belt member, a pressing member, a first member, a second member, and a support member. The pressing member forms a passer between the pressing member and the belt member. The passer passes while pressing a recording medium. The first member comes into contact with the belt member on an inner side of the belt member. The first member receives pressing force in a first direction from the pressing member. The second member is disposed on the inner side of the belt member. The second member receives pressing force of the pressing member with the first member interposed therebetween. The support member is interposed between the first member and the second member. The support member supports the first member so that an area over which the support member supports the first member and an area over which the support member is supported by the second member overlap in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Jouta Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11054767
    Abstract: A nip formation member is configured to be disposed inside a loop of a rotatable belt. The nip formation member includes a base, a thermal equalizer, an attachment, and a fastener. The base has a bottomed fastening hole. The thermal equalizer is configured to face the belt and a surface of the base not having the bottomed fastening hole. The thermal equalizer has a higher thermal conductivity than the base. The attachment has a fastening hole and face another surface of the base having the bottomed fastening hole. The attachment is configured to fix and position the base and the thermal equalizer. The fastener is fastened to the bottomed fastening hole of the base through the fastening hole of the attachment from the attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Takahashi, Hiroyuki Shimada, Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11054769
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a flexible endless belt, a pressure rotator disposed outside the belt and facing the belt, a nip formation pad disposed inside a loop of the belt and configured to form a fixing nip between the belt and the pressure rotator, a heater configured to heat the belt, a flange configured to support an end portion of the belt, a first lubricant, and a second lubricant. The first lubricant is applied between the nip formation pad and an inner surface of the belt. The second lubricant is applied between the flange and the inner surface of the belt. The second lubricant has a temperature characteristic different from a temperature characteristic of the first lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Shimada
  • Patent number: 11054773
    Abstract: A heater includes a base layer, a heat generator mounted on the base layer, and a slide layer mounted on the base layer. A sliding face of a counterpart slides over the slide layer. The slide layer is made of a material containing fluorine and includes a slide face that contacts the sliding face of the counterpart. The slide face of the slide layer has a surface roughness that is greater than a surface roughness of the sliding face of the counterpart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Furuichi, Kenji Ishii, Kenichi Hasegawa, Takashi Fujita, Tomoya Adachi, Yukimichi Someya, Daisuke Inoue, Masahiro Samei, Takayuki Seki
  • Patent number: 11054774
    Abstract: A nip forming member includes a base material and a thermal conductive member that overlaps the base material and has a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of the base material. The base material has protrusions projecting to one side or another side in a short direction on a part of a longitudinal direction on both sides in the short direction. The thermal conductive member has fitting holes into which the protrusions are fitted in both sides in the short direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Takahashi, Naoki Iwaya, Hitoshi Fujiwara, Ippei Fujimoto, Yoshiki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11036169
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical film, a support member disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the film, a heating member supported by the support member and provided slidably with the film, and a pressing member that forms a pressure contact portion together with the heating member through the film. The fixing device heats a recording medium while pressing the recording medium at the pressure contact portion. A first thermally conductive member and a second thermally conductive member are provided between the heating member and the support member. The first and second thermally conductive members having thermal conductivity higher than that of the support member are configured to engage with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Watanabe, Masafumi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11029630
    Abstract: A support of a heater in a fuser, the support including: two parallel sides and a back side, the three sides forming a U shaped cross section, the cross section having a non-uniform wall thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Bartley Mark Hirst
  • Patent number: 11022917
    Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes an endless film, a pressing member forming a nip portion together with the film, and a film holding member provided at a longitudinal end portion of the film. The film holding member includes a movable member including a restriction surface configured to restrict a longitudinal movement of the film and a guide surface configured to guide a rotation of the film, the guide surface including a lubricant application unit. The film holding member further includes a biased member supporting the movable member and including a force reception portion, and is configured to cause the movable member to move upstream in a conveyance direction of the recording material at the nip portion relative to the biased member and cause the lubricant application unit to abut against an inner peripheral surface of the fixing film, when the movable member moves longitudinally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Saito, Hideaki Yonekubo, Keisuke Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 11022916
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes: a driver that presses and separates two rollers via a belt; a detector that detects a position of the belt in an axial direction of one roller of the two rollers; and a hardware processor that calculates, based on a detection result by the detector, a first movement amount of the position of the belt in the axial direction when the belt is made to travel for a predetermined time in a state where the two rollers are separated and a second movement amount of the position of the belt in the axial direction when the belt is made to travel for the predetermined time in a state where the two rollers are pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Daisuke Murakami
  • Patent number: 11016426
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fixing device, includes a fixing member having a first surface configured to be pressed against a recording medium and a heater on a second surface of the fixing member. A first heat conducting member contacts aback surface side of the heater, and a second heat conducting member is provided to be moveable between a first state, in which the second heat conducting member is in contact with the first heat conducting member and the second surface of the fixing member, and a second state, in which the second heat conducting member is contacting the first heat conducting member, but separated from the second surface of the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11007796
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heater, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and processing circuitry. The heater is configured to heat a medium on which an image is formed. The first temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the heater. The second temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of a region heated by the heater. The processing circuitry is configured to control the temperature of the heater. The processing circuitry is configured to control the heater based on a comparison between a measured temperature of the first temperature sensor and a first threshold value, and a comparison between a measured temperature of the second temperature sensor and a second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kizaki, Junji Nakai, Masafumi Yamada, Shizuho Katahira
  • Patent number: 10996600
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a first stay surrounded by the belt and extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis, a holder holding the nip forming member, and an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay includes a first end and a second end. The holder includes a first engaging portion positioned at a first end of the holder, and a second engaging portion positioned at a second end of the holder. The first engaging portion engages the first end of the first stay. The second engaging portion engages the second end of the first stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Tomonori Watanabe, Shuhei Fukue, Kenji Takeuchi, Kazuna Taguchi, Tatsuo Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 10996599
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a fixing device, for fixing a toner image formed on an image receiving medium to the image receiving medium, including: a pressure rotation member; a pressure member against which the pressure rotation member is pressed across the image receiving medium; a heating roller separated from the pressure member and configured to rotate around a rotation axis thereof; an annular belt wound around the heating roller and the pressure member; a belt regulating member configured to include an opening into which the heating roller is loosely fitted and an abutting surface abutting against the annular belt; and a stopper arranged to face an outer edge of the annular belt contacting the heating roller across the belt regulating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Himeno
  • Patent number: 10990046
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressure member, and a heating section. The heating section faces an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The heating section includes a heater and a heater holding member. The heater heats the fixing belt. The heater holding member holds the heater. The heater holding member has a first side surface, a second side surface, and an inclined slit. The first and second side surfaces are in contact with the inner circumferential surface. The first side surface has the inclined slit. The inclined slit is located in the first side surface in a direction of a rotational axis of the fixing belt. The inclined slit has one end on a side of the pressure member and the other end on an opposite side to the side of the pressure member. The other end is located nearer a middle (center) of the first side surface in the direction of the rotational axis than the one end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Watatani, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Yuhiro Sakai, Fumito Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 10990043
    Abstract: A fixing device receives a recording material having a toner image and applies pressure and heat to fix the toner image. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a sliding member, a pressing member, and a heating member. The fixing member has a rotatable endless belt shape that includes an inner circumferential resin layer. The sliding member is pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member with a lubricant interposed between the sliding member and the inner circumferential surface. The sliding member has a resin coating layer and slides on the inner circumferential surface. The pressing member presses the recording material toward an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member. The heating member generates heat to heat the recording material. A surface hardness of the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member is smaller than a surface hardness of the sliding surface of the sliding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Nakamura, Takashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10974484
    Abstract: A forming method of a cylindrical composite material includes layering a plurality of composite material sheets in a cylindrical shape with splices formed between ends of adjacent composite material sheets such that phases of the splices in a circumferential direction differ from each other; heating the composite material sheets layered at the layering while pressurizing the composite material sheets in a state where the layered composite material sheets are disposed along an inner surface of a composite material cylindrical mold to cause a resin included in the composite material sheets to react to combine the composite material sheets to be formed in a cylindrical shape; and performing an adhesion pretreatment that is performed before the heating and allows the inner surface of the composite material cylindrical mold to adhere to an outermost composite material sheet of the layered composite material sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kodai Shimono, Ryoji Okabe
  • Patent number: 10969720
    Abstract: A heating device includes a surface heater unit that generates heat along a surface extending in a longitudinal direction to heat a heating object; a heat pipe disposed to be in contact with a surface of the surface heater unit over a region extending in the longitudinal direction at a side opposite to a side adjacent to the heating object; a friction reducing material provided to a region in which the surface heater unit and the heating object are in contact with each other, the friction reducing material reducing a frictional resistance between the surface heater unit and the heating object; and a heat-conductive material interposed between the surface heater unit and the heat pipe and having a surface tension that differs from a surface tension of the friction reducing material by 3 (mN/m) or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Koyanagi, Toko Hara, Kazuyoshi Itoh, Sou Morizaki, Motoharu Nakao, Toshiyuki Miyata, Toru Inoue
  • Patent number: 10969717
    Abstract: A heating device includes an endless rotator that rotates in a rotation direction and a heater that contacts an inner circumferential surface of the endless rotator and extends in an axial direction of the endless rotator. An elastic body contacts the inner circumferential surface of the endless rotator and is disposed downstream from the heater in the rotation direction of the endless rotator. A holder holds the heater and the elastic body. A pressure rotator is disposed opposite the heater and the elastic body via the endless rotator to form a nip between the endless rotator and the pressure rotator. A motion restrictor is mounted on the holder. The motion restrictor restricts motion of the heater downstream in the rotation direction of the endless rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Adachi, Yuusuke Furuichi, Yukimichi Someya, Takayuki Seki
  • Patent number: 10962908
    Abstract: A heating device includes a first rotator, a heater, a second rotator to contact an outer surface of the first rotator, a nip formation pad inside a loop of the first rotator to form a nip, a thermal equalizer to cover a surface of the nip formation pad opposite the first rotator and transport heat in an axial direction of the first rotator, and a lubricant disposed between the thermal equalizer and the first rotator. The thermal equalizer has a plurality of concave portions on a surface opposite the inner surface of the first rotator. The concave portion has a shape substantially symmetrical with respect to a first center line extending in a longitudinal direction of the thermal equalizer and a second center line in a cross section of the concave portion viewed from a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the first rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Yamaguchi, Ippei Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 10955771
    Abstract: A belt control device includes a plurality of rollers, a belt wound around the plurality of rollers and configured to rotate along with the plurality of rollers, a belt contact member that the belt contacts when the belt moves in an axial direction of the plurality of rollers, and a shaft displacement member movable in the axial direction and including an inclined face inclined with respect to a surface of the belt to control movement of the belt in the axial direction. The belt, the belt contact member, and the shaft displacement member are configured to make a frictional force between an edge of the belt and the belt contact member greater than a frictional force between the belt contact member and the shaft displacement member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naohiro Kumagai, Masanari Fujita, Katsuya Kawagoe, Masaharu Furuya, Hiroki Nakamatsu, Yoshiki Hozumi
  • Patent number: 10948858
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt and configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip, an urging member configured to urge one of the rotator and the nip forming member towards the other in a particular direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, an upstream guide and a downstream guide. The upstream guide includes an upstream guide surface configured to guide an inner peripheral surface of the belt. The nip forming member includes a facing surface which faces the rotator. An upstream edge of the facing surface in the moving direction is located at a position farther from the rotation axis, in the particular direction, than a downstream edge of the upstream guide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Handa, Mingguang Zhang, Shuhei Fukue, Tokifumi Tanaka, Kenji Takeuchi, Hirotaka Imaeda
  • Patent number: 10942478
    Abstract: A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a holder holding the nip forming member, a first stay supporting the holder, an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator, a second stay, and a connector. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay extends in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis. The second stay is positioned upstream of the first stay in a moving direction of the belt at the nip. The moving direction is perpendicular to the width direction. The connector extends through at least one of the first stay and the second stay to connect the first stay to the second stay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuna Taguchi, Hiroshi Handa, Shuhei Fukue, Tomonori Watanabe, Kenji Takeuchi, Tatsuo Ogasawara
  • Patent number: 10935913
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an annular and rotatable fixing member, a contact member, at least one temperature sensing unit, and a processor. The fixing member has an outer peripheral surface that comes into contact with a recording medium. The fixing member fixes an image on the recording medium onto the recording medium. The contact member is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing member, and extends in an axial direction of the fixing member. The at least one temperature sensing unit senses a temperature of a lubricant adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the fixing member. The processor controls rotation of the fixing member on a basis of a temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toko Hara
  • Patent number: 10935911
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless belt rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a nip formation assembly disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. An opposed rotary body is pressed against the nip formation assembly via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the opposed rotary body through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A belt holder contacts and supports each lateral end of the endless belt in an axial direction thereof. The belt holder is isolated from the opposed rotary body with a first interval interposed therebetween in the axial direction of the endless belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Kawata, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tadashi Ogawa, Takahiro Imada, Hiromasa Takagi, Kazuya Saito, Naoki Iwaya, Kensuke Yamaji, Takamasa Hase, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Takuya Seshita, Takeshi Uchitani, Arinobu Yoshiura, Hajime Gotoh, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10921748
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, having a photosensitive drum, a developing roller movable between a contacting position, in which the developing roller contacts the photosensitive drum, and a separated position, in which the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum, a moving mechanism to move the developing roller between the contacting position and the separated position, a fuser including a heating member and a pressing member to nip a sheet at a position between the heating member and the pressing member, a nipping-force adjuster to switch a nipping force in the fuser between a first nipping force and a second nipping force being greater than the first nipping force, a motor, and a driving-force transmitter to transmit a driving force from the motor to the developing roller, is provided. The driving-force transmitter transmits the driving force further to the moving mechanism and the nipping-force adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kotaro Haruta, Masahito Saeki, Shoichiro Nishimura, Tomonori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10915049
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes a belt, a heater, and a holder. The belt is formed into a cylindrical shape, is rotated in a circumferential direction to transport a sheet, and applies heat to the sheet. The heater is arranged on an inner side of the belt and extends in a predetermined longitudinal direction to heat the belt. The holder extends in the longitudinal direction of the heater and holds the heater. The holder includes a support portion and a retraction portion. The support portion comes into contact with the heater and supports the heater. The retraction portion is provided at a position avoiding the support portion in the longitudinal direction of the heater, and includes a smaller contact area with the heater than the contact area between the support portion and the heater or does not come into contact with the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryota Saeki
  • Patent number: 10882340
    Abstract: Provided are an ink jet image forming method and an ink jet image forming apparatus in which a complex elastic modulus (Pa) before an intermediate image comes into contact with a liquid absorbing member is 4.0 or more in the common logarithm, and a complex elastic modulus (Pa) before the intermediate image comes into contact with the recording medium is 7.0 or less in the common logarithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuaki Orihara, Kenji Shinjo
  • Patent number: 10884365
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing rotator, a heater, a nip formation pad, and a pressure rotator. The heater is disposed opposite an inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator to heat the fixing rotator. The nip formation pad is disposed opposite the inner circumferential surface of the fixing rotator that is slidable over the nip formation pad. The pressure rotator is configured to press against the nip formation pad via the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed while being sandwiched between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator. The nip formation pad includes a base and a thermal equalizer having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the base. The nip formation pad has a nip face opposite the fixing nip. The thermal equalizer is disposed in at least part of the nip face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Shimada
  • Patent number: 10877411
    Abstract: A fixing belt member includes a base layer. The base layer contains a polyimide-based resin composition and at least one type of particles selected from the group consisting of acetylene black particles and graphitized carbon black particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shigeru Fukuda, Hiroaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10877412
    Abstract: A fixing device including an endless belt, a heat source, a rotatable member forming a nip together with a belt, a nip forming member, a contact member contacting an inner peripheral surface of the belt, a reflecting portion reflecting radiation heat from the heat source toward the nip forming member, a heat conducting portion, and a heat insulating member. The nip forming member includes a first member having a U-shape made of metal and open on a side opposite from the rotatable member and a second member provided inside the first member. The heat conducting portion conducts heat of the reflecting portion to the contact member. The heat insulating member is provided between the first member and the second member. A thickness t (?m) and thermal conductivity ? (W/m·K) of the heat insulating member satisfy: t?100 (?m) 0.02 (W/m·K)???0.05 (W/m·K).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryo Yashiro, Shuichi Tamura, Hiroshi Miyamoto, Naoyuki Yamamoto, Shinsuke Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10877409
    Abstract: In a fixing device, a heating section is disposed opposite to an inner circumferential surface of a fixing belt. The heating section includes a heater, a heater holding member, a heat sensitive body disposed opposite to the heater on the heater holding member, a covering member disposed opposite to the heater holding member with the heat sensitive body therebetween, and an urging member disposed between the covering member and the heat sensitive body and urging the heat sensitive body in an urging direction. First and second restricting portions of the heater holding member restrict movement of the covering member in a direction opposite to the urging direction. In a state in which first and second engaging portions of the covering member respectively engage with the first and second restricting portions in a slidable manner in the urging direction, the urging member urges the heat sensitive body in the urging direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Watatani, Masakazu Uehara, Hironori Takahashi, Yuhiro Sakai
  • Patent number: 10866548
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a flexible rotatable fixing belt, a pressuring member, a pressing member, a heating part, a belt guide, and a fiber member. The pressuring member forms a pressuring area between the fixing belt and the pressuring member. The pressing member comes into contact with an inner circumference face of the fixing belt via lubricant in the pressuring area to press the fixing belt to the pressuring member. The heating part heats the fixing belt from outside. The belt guide supports the fixing belt from a side of the inner circumference face so that the fixing belt faces to the heating part. The fiber member is arranged between the belt guide and the fixing belt. At least a part of a face of the fiber member at a side of the fixing belt is oil repellent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Miyake
  • Patent number: 10866551
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a flexible endless fixing belt, a heating part, and a belt guide. The heating part induction-heats the fixing belt from outside. The belt guide supports the fixing belt so that the fixing belt faces to the heating part. The belt guide is made of temperature sensitive magnetic material with magnetic characteristics reversibly changing from ferromagnetism to paramagnetism when predetermined temperature is reached, and includes a plurality of slits arranged in a width direction orthogonal to a circumferential direction of the fixing belt and formed along the circumferential direction. At a side of an inner circumference face of the fixing belt, a protecting part is provided so as to prevent the inner circumference face of the fixing belt from coming into direct contact with portions on the periphery of the plurality of slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Eiji Nakajima
  • Patent number: 10859955
    Abstract: An image heating member for heating an image formed on a recording material includes a base material, an elastic layer which contains a thermally conductive filler of 5 ?m or more in average diameter and which is provided on the base material, and a parting layer which is provided on the elastic layer so as to contact the elastic layer and which is formed of a fluorine-containing resin tube provided on the elastic layer. The fluorine-containing resin tube has 3% or more in heat contraction rate with respect to a widthwise direction of the image heating member before and after the fluorine-containing resin tube is heated and left standing in an oven at 200° C. for 30 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akeshi Asaka, Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hiroki Muramatsu, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Noriaki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10852677
    Abstract: A fixing member used for a fixing device includes a tubular base layer; an electrode portion formed on the base layer; a heat generating portion formed on the base layer in such a manner as to be positioned next to the electrode portion in a longitudinal direction of the fixing member, the heat generating portion being electrically connected to the electrode portion; and an overcoat layer formed on the heat generating portion. The heat generating portion is a layer formed by a plurality of thin linear layers extending in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member and spaced from one another along a circumferential direction of the fixing member. The overcoat layer extends over a boundary between the heat generating portion and the electrode portion in the longitudinal direction of the fixing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Sato, Takashi Narahara, Takeshi Shinji, Kazuhiro Doda, Kohei Wakatsu
  • Patent number: 10852670
    Abstract: In a fixing device of the present invention, first and second movable members are each urged toward a flexible member so that the contact between contact surfaces of the first and second movable members and end faces of the flexible member are each maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Murasaki, Motoyasu Muramatsu, Hiroki Eguchi
  • Patent number: 10845757
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a heating device a temperature sensor, and a controller. The heating device includes a rotator, a fan, an introduction duct, a cooling duct, and a movement mechanism. The introduction duct is shaped such that an airflow generated by the fan is directed towards and is incident on a first end portion of the rotator. The cooling duct extends between the introduction duct and a first end of the rotator, and faces the first end portion. The cooling duct includes a plurality of duct portions. The movement mechanism is configured to move the fan, the introduction duct, and at least one of the duct portions along the rotational axis. The temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature at the first end portion. The controller is configured to control a movement of the movement mechanism based on a temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Kawashima, Masaya Tanaka, Shuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10845744
    Abstract: In a fixing device of an image forming apparatus, a pressure lever includes an engagement recess for holding a pressure release lever at a pressure position where a biasing member is actuated, and the pressure release lever includes an engaging protrusion which can be engaged with the engagement recess. Also, the pressure lever includes a slidable contact portion adjacent to the engagement recess. The pressure releaser is capable of increasing or decreasing biasing intensity of the biasing member as the engagement protrusion is slid along the slidable contact portion by a biasing force of the biasing member between a state in which the pressure releaser is at the pressure position and a state in which the pressure releaser is at a release position for releasing pressure contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Motoki Ohta
  • Patent number: 10838333
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing member; a holding member; and a cam member. The holding member holds the fixing member such that the fixing member can be displaced between a pressure contact position and a separation position. The cam member is rotatable about an axis in a first direction and a second direction. A distance between a cam surface of the cam member and the axis is reduced in the second direction. A part of the cam surface is in contact with the holding member at a first position in a state where the fixing member is at the separation position, and away from the holding member at a second position in a state where the fixing member is at the pressure contact position. The first direction is opposite to a direction from the first position to the second position about the axis with a smaller central angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shota Shinoya, Yasuhiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10824099
    Abstract: A fixing device that fixes a toner image to a medium, includes: a heating body rotatably supported; an auxiliary heating member disposed along an inner surface of the heating rotation body; a temperature sensor facing the inner surface via the auxiliary heating member; a first elastic body configured to press, via a first force, the temperature sensor against the inner surface; and a second elastic body configured to press, via a second force, a sliding member against the inner surface. A product of a distance from a center of the auxiliary heating member to the first elastic body and the first elastic force is equal to a product of a distance from the center to the second elastic body and the second elastic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10824102
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fixing device including a flexible cylindrical rotary member and an inner-surface opposing portion that opposes an inner surface of the rotary member at an end portion of the rotary member in a generatrix direction. The inner-surface opposing portion moves upstream in a recording material conveying direction in accordance with lateral shift of the rotary member in the generatrix direction. This restricts the lateral shift of the rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Ohta, Terutaka Endo, Seiji Obata, Jiro Moriya, Takayuki Mizuta
  • Patent number: 10809653
    Abstract: An image-forming-apparatus sliding member includes a woven base and a cover layer disposed on at least one surface of the woven base. The average height of projections and depressions on a sliding surface is greater than or equal to 40 ?m and smaller than or equal to 90 ?m, and an average distance between the projections and the depressions is greater than or equal to 700 ?m and smaller than or equal to 1600 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Ohara, Fumio Daishi, Kenta Yamakoshi, Kenji Omori
  • Patent number: 10802431
    Abstract: A heating device includes a heater and an interrupting portion. The heater extends in a width direction of a rotary belt and configured to contact and heat the belt. The interrupting portion is configured to interrupt power supply at a longitudinal end portion of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoya Adachi, Yuusuke Furuichi, Yukimichi Someya
  • Patent number: 10802432
    Abstract: A fixing member includes: a substrate layer including a resin; a first metal layer that is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the substrate layer and includes Cu; a second metal layer that is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the first metal layer so as to be in contact with the first metal layer, includes Ni, and has crystal orientation indexes of from 0 to 1.08 for a (111) plane, from 1.42 to 4.25 for a (200) plane, and from 0.07 to 0.69 for a (311) plane; and an elastic layer that is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the second metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoko Suzuki, Yusuke Watanabe, Tomotake Inagaki, Hideaki Ohara
  • Patent number: 10795289
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a stationary member, a roller, an endless belt, a pressure rotator, and a lubricant applicator. The endless belt is stretched over the stationary member and the roller. The pressure rotator is disposed opposite the stationary member via the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the pressure rotator and the endless belt on the stationary member. The lubricant applicator contacts the roller over an entire length of the roller in an axial direction of the roller. The lubricant applicator contacts an inner surface of the endless belt and has an axial length equal to or greater than an axial length of the stationary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Hasegawa, Kenji Ishii
  • Patent number: 10795291
    Abstract: A fixation apparatus includes a fixation belt, an opposing rotating body, and a nip forming member. A nip most upstream portion corresponding to a most upstream portion of a fixation nip portion in a direction of transportation of a recording medium is defined in the nip forming member. The nip forming member includes a curved nip upstream portion which is provided at the nip most upstream portion and projects with respect to the opposing rotating body. The nip upstream portion is shaped to produce a speed difference between a side of a toner image where the toner image and the fixation belt are in contact with each other in a thickness direction of the recording medium and a side of the toner image where the toner image and the recording medium are in contact with each other in the thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Ryohei Matsuo
  • Patent number: 10775723
    Abstract: A fusing device of which a lifespan may be increased by stably supplying a lubricant to a fusing belt, and an image forming apparatus including the same are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Seung-Jun Lee, Dong-kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 10761461
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a flat heater, a holder and a pressing roller. The fixing belt is rotatable and cylindrical. The flat heater has a holding body and a heating resistor. The holder is configured to hold the flat heater such that a surface in which the heating resistor is embedded comes into contact with an inner circumferential face of the fixing belt via a lubricant. Of a contact area of the flat heater with the inner circumferential face of the fixing belt, in an area outside longitudinal end portion of the holding body, a groove is formed such that the lubricant flows to a center side of the holding body toward a downstream side in a rotational direction of the fixing belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kanako Morimoto
  • Patent number: 10761465
    Abstract: A fuser device for fusing a developer image on a medium by applying heat includes an endless fuser belt, a belt supporting part that has a contact face shaped in an arc centering on a first central axis and contacts with the inner circumferential face of the fuser belt on the contact face, a driven ring that is disposed on at least one side of the fuser belt in the width direction of the fuser belt, and a ring supporting part that has a contact face shaped in an arc centering on a second central axis and contacts with an inner circumferential face of the driven ring on the contact face, wherein the first central axis is shifted from the second central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Yabuki, Junichi Ito
  • Patent number: 10754281
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing belt that is used in a fixing device, the fixing device nipping, between a heated fixing belt and a roller, a recording material in which an unfixed toner image is formed on a surface, and fixing the toner image onto the recording material, and the fixing belt has a fixing temperature that causes a tipping point in a characteristic of a change in glossiness of the toner image that has been fixed with respect to a change in the fixing temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Susumu Sudo