Pressure Rollers Patents (Class 399/331)
  • Patent number: 11966179
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a first rotator, a second rotator, a heater, and a discharger. The first rotator includes a conductive first layer, a non-conductive second layer, and a conductive third layer. The first to third layers exist in an order of the first layer to the third layer from a center of the first rotator to an outside of the first rotator. The second rotator forms a nip between the first rotator and the second rotator. A recording medium bearing a toner image passes through the nip. The heater is disposed inside a loop of the second rotator and heats the second rotator. The discharger is in contact with the first layer and the third layer and removes electric charge from the first rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11890892
    Abstract: A layer transfer device includes a housing main body having an opening, a cover movable between an open position in which the opening is open and a closed position in which the opening is closed, a heating member provided in the housing main body and configured to heat a multilayer film and a sheet, a pressure member provided on the cover and configured to nip the multilayer film and a sheet laid on the multilayer film between the heating member and the pressure member, and a shutter movable between a protecting position in which the heating member is covered with the shutter, and a retreated position in which the shutter is away from the protecting position. The shutter is in the protecting position when the cover is in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Yamamoto, Kouichi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11874620
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a first rotator, a second rotator, a heater, a conductor, and a discharger. The first rotator includes a conductive first layer, a non-conductive second layer, and a conductive third layer. The first to third layers exist in an order of the first layer to the third layer from a center of the first rotator to an outside of the first rotator. The second rotator forms a nip between the first rotator and the second rotator. A recording medium bearing a toner image passes through the nip. The heater is disposed inside a loop of the second rotator and heats the second rotator. The conductor is in contact with one of the first layer and the third layer. The discharger is in contact with the conductor and the other one of the first layer and the third layer and removes electric charge from the first rotator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11841655
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating rotating member having a conductive layer and an exposed portion in which the conductive layer is partially exposed, and a roller including a metal core and an elastic portion, the roller forming a nip portion with the heating rotating member, the elastic portion being elastically deformed in a region where the nip portion is formed, wherein an annular conductive member provided in a longitudinal end portion of the metal core is in contact with the exposed portion of the heating rotating member while elastically deformed, and wherein in a state where the roller is not mounted to the fixing device, an outer diameter of the conductive member is smaller than an outer diameter of the elastic portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kensuke Umeda, Masashi Tanaka, Shoichiro Ikegami, Sho Taguchi, Ai Suzuki, Hikaru Osada, Toru Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 11772412
    Abstract: A layer transfer device includes a supply reel, a take-up reel, a driving source, a releasable restraining device, a heating roller, a pressure roller, and a controller. The driving source drives the take-up reel. The releasable restraining device is capable of switching to a restraining state in which a multilayer film is put under restraint in being drawn out from the supply reel and to a release state in which the restraint is lifted. The controller is configured such that when the driving source is generating the mechanical power, the releasable restraining device is in the restraining state if an image area in which an image is formed on the sheet is not present in a layer transfer position between the heating roller and the pressure roller, and the releasable restraining device is in the release state if the image area is present in the layer transfer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Yamamoto, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11768455
    Abstract: A heater includes electrodes and heating element pieces. The electrodes energize the heating element pieces with electricity. The heating element pieces are connected to the electrodes and arranged through a gap portion in the heater in a main scanning direction. A ratio of a second surface area of the gap portion to a first surface area of the heating element pieces is 0<(second surface area of the gap portion)/(first surface area of the heating element pieces)?0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Rina Kikugawa, Takashi Eiki, Akihiro Kondo, Ryohei Tokunaga, Yuta Kitabayashi, Hiroki Kawasaki, Shunsaku Fujii, Tei To
  • Patent number: 11635714
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a first rotary member, a heating element, a second rotary member, a nip member, a reflection member, and a support member. The support member configured to transit to a pressurized state and a non-pressurized state, the pressurized state being a state in which a first position and a second position of the support member are pressurized in a pressurization direction toward the second rotary member, the non-pressurized state being in which the pressurized state of the support member is released. The support member includes a contact surface in contact with the reflection member in the pressurized state. The contact surface takes such a posture that a center position between the first and second positions in the rotation axial direction is close to the second rotary member rather than the first and second positions in a case where the support member is in the non-pressurized state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Hara, Satoshi Nishida, Takanori Mitani
  • Patent number: 11415926
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a plurality of heating elements, a plurality of first terminals, a second terminal, a movable member, a first conductive circuit and a second conductive circuit. The heating elements are arranged in a main scanning direction and generate heat. The first terminals are electrically connected to the heating elements. The second terminal is electrically connected to a power supply that supplies electric power to the heating elements. The first conductive circuit and the second conductive circuit are provided on a surface of the movable member. The first conductive circuit is configured to electrically connect a first combination of one or more of the first terminals with the second terminal. The second conductive circuit is configured to electrically connect a different, second combination of one or more of the first terminals with the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yohei Doi
  • Patent number: 11294313
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a heater, heating roller heated by the heater and a fixing belt heated by the heating roller. A thermistor detects a temperature of the fixing belt at an area where the belt is stretched by the heating roller. When a CPU receives a signal which instructs the stop of rotation of the fixing belt, the CPU continues rotation of the fixing belt until the detected temperature detected by the thermistor decreases a predetermined temperature in a case in which the detected temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuru Hasegawa, Hiroki Kawai, Yasuharu Toratani, Ayano Ogata
  • Patent number: 10884362
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating rotator, a pressure rotator, a temperature detector, and circuitry. The pressure rotator presses against the heating rotator. The temperature detector detects a temperature of the heating rotator. The circuitry energizes and deenergizes a heater of the heating rotator to control a fixing temperature of the heating rotator to be a reference value. The circuitry controls a direction of rotation of each of the heating rotator and the pressure rotator to drive each of the heating rotator and the pressure rotator in one of the fixing direction of rotation and a reverse direction of rotation. The circuitry changes the direction of rotation of each of the heating rotator and the pressure rotator to the reverse direction of rotation in a case in which the fixing temperature is less than the reference value upon an elapse of a period of time from a start of heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahiko Hisada
  • Patent number: 10859953
    Abstract: An image fixing device for fixing an image on a sheet includes a rotatable fixing film, a heater, a rotatable pressing member, a holding member, and a metal sheet. The heater is provided on an inner surface of the fixing belt. The rotatable pressing member is provided in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the film to press against the heater through the film, thus forming a nip configured to nip and feed the sheet. The holding member includes a guide portion configured to guide the rotation of the fixing film and to hold the heater. The metal sheet covers the heater and an area of guide portion slidable relative to an inner surface of the fixing film. The metal sheet has a thermal conductivity ?10W/(m·° C.) and has a thickness more than 0 ?m and not more than 50 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Asuna Fukamachi, Shohei Tsuzaki, Keisuke Yoshida, Takeshi Kozuma
  • Patent number: 10795296
    Abstract: A fuser includes a rotatable member, a belt, a pressure member, and a sliding member. The pressure member sandwiches the belt together with the rotatable member to form a nip portion. The sliding member is sandwiched between an inner peripheral surface of the belt and the pressure member. The sliding member includes a front surface, which faces the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The front surface includes a plurality of first dimples and a plurality of second dimples. The first dimples are arranged in a first zone, which corresponds to the nip portion. The second dimples are arranged in a second zone, which corresponds to a portion of the sliding member outside the nip portion. Each of the first dimples is of a shape that can release lubricant more easily than each of the second dimples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokifumi Tanaka, Hideki Kanada
  • Patent number: 10773911
    Abstract: A conveyor comprises a first conveyor roller unit and a side position adjustment mechanism. The side position adjustment mechanism includes a guide member and a position adjustment roller unit. The position adjustment roller unit includes a first position adjustment roller and a second position adjustment roller which holds a sheet-shaped medium with the first position adjustment roller. An angle between a rotational axial line of the first position adjustment roller and a part of a guide face of the guide member which part is on the downstream of an intersection between the rotational axial line of the first position adjustment roller and the guide face is an acute angle. The conveyor further comprises a first support member which supports a first driven roller of the first conveyor roller unit to allow a rotational axial line of the first driven roller to be swingable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichi Hirata
  • Patent number: 10620574
    Abstract: Provided is a fixing member for a heat fixing apparatus which can further improve utilization efficiency of heat for heat fixing of an unfixed toner. A fixing member having an endless belt shape includes a substrate and an elastic layer on the substrate, wherein the elastic layer includes silicone rubber and a filler dispersed in the silicone rubber, and when a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in a thickness direction is defined as ?nd, a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in a circumferential direction is defined as ?td, and a thermal conductivity of the elastic layer in a width direction is defined as ?md, ?nd is 1.30 W/(m·K) or more, and ?nd, ?td, and ?md satisfy a relationship as shown below ?nd>?md>?td.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Kitano, Katsuya Abe, Takeshi Suzuki, Mamo Matsumoto, Matsutaka Maeda, Yasuharu Notoya, Katsuhisa Matsunaka, Masaaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10536609
    Abstract: A method for compensating for printing substrate deformation in a multicolor duplex printing operation by way of a computer. The substrate deformation that arises when individual color separations are printed onto the first and second sides of the printing substrate in the printing units is established and compensated for in the course of an automated register correction process. The computer calculates a forecast of the substrate deformation on a basis of the established first side deformation parameters of the printing substrate. When further color separations are printed onto the second side the forecast is used as an input parameter for a compensation of the substrate deformation of the second side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Edmund Schramek, Hans-Peter Schmitt
  • Patent number: 10459384
    Abstract: A fuser may include a rotatable member, a belt, a pressure member, and a sliding member. The belt and rotatable member may form a nip portion. The sliding member may be sandwiched between an inner peripheral surface of the belt and the pressure member. The sliding member may include a front surface, which faces the inner peripheral surface of the belt. The front surface may include a plurality of dimples designed to catch lubricant that moves along ridges between the dimples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tokifumi Tanaka, Hideki Kanada
  • Patent number: 10379470
    Abstract: A fuser includes: a heater; a rotation body which is heated by the heater; an endless belt; an elastic pad which is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt to form a nip portion with the endless belt intervening between the elastic pad and the rotation body; and a wall surrounded by the endless belt and disposed upstream of the elastic pad in a moving direction of the endless belt at the nip portion. The wall has a facing surface facing the elastic pad in the moving direction. The facing surface includes: contact portions positioned at both ends in a width direction of the endless belt and in contact with the elastic pad; and a center portion positioned between the contact portions in the width direction, at an upstream side of the contact portions in the moving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akihiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10203638
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus analyzes image data and detects a first area and a second area in the image data. The first area is an area in which a toner application amount per unit area is greater than a first threshold value and less than a second threshold value, and the second area is an area in which a toner application amount per unit area is greater than a third threshold value that is greater than the second threshold value. The image forming apparatus sets a target fixing temperature for fixing toner to a sheet based on the analyzing of the image data such that the target fixing temperature is set to be higher in a case in which one of the first area and the second area is detected than in a case in which none of the first area and the second area is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukihiro Shindo
  • Patent number: 9802779
    Abstract: Methods and systems for preventing wrinkles in a web passing through an accumulator. The accumulator comprises a plurality of rollers including at least one roller having an axis of revolution movable toward and away from the axis of revolution of another roller to release and store varying amounts of the web. At least one of the rollers has a nominally flat outer surface and at least one of the rollers has a profiled outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventor: Todd Douglas Lenser
  • Patent number: 9766580
    Abstract: A fixing device having a cam and a contact member is configured to satisfy: D4>D2, and D3?D4<D1?D2, where D1 and D2 are distances viewed along the rotation axis of the cam in a first state where a curved surface of the contact member engages with the first concave portion on of a cam, and D3 and D4 are distances viewed along the rotation axis in a second state where the curved surface engages with a second concave portion of the cam, D1 represents a distance from a most upstream contact point in the rotation direction to the rotation axis, D2 represents the shortest distance from the rotation axis to the curved surface, D3 represents a distance from a most upstream contact point in the rotation direction of the cam to the rotation axis, and D4 represents the shortest distance from the rotation axis to the curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Hashimoto, Wen Chen
  • Patent number: 9563157
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heating roller and a fixing roller over which the fixing belt is looped, a pressure roller forming a fixing nip with the fixing belt, a pair of side plates, one of the side plates being disposed on each end of a shaft of the fixing roller and each end of a shaft of the heating roller, and heating roller holding members to hold corresponding insulating bushing, and corresponding heating roller bearings, the heating roller holding members being attached to opening parts of the side plates. The heating roller holding members are formed of two separate components such that the heating roller is capable of moving along the opening parts formed in the side plates toward the fixing roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichiro Kato, Tsukasa Satoh, Yoshikuni Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9429888
    Abstract: A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt: a fixing belt holding member; a pressure member that makes a contact with the circumference of the fixing belt; a nip forming member that is disposed inside the fixing belt and forms a nip between the nip forming member and the pressure member; a nip supporting member that is made of a sheet metal; a side plate that supports the fixing belt holding member and the nip supporting member; and a pressure mechanism that presses the pressure member against the nip forming member with the fixing belt between the pressure member and the nip forming member. Both end surfaces of the nip supporting member are shear surfaces and one of the shear surfaces makes a contact with the nip forming member and the other shear surface is supported by the side plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kohichi Utsunomiya, Hideo Nagafuji, Yuji Arai, Arinobu Yoshiura, Kiho Sai, Shohei Saito, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Motoyoshi Yamano
  • Patent number: 9372456
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a nip forming member that contacts an inner surface of a tubular film and forms a nip together with a roller via the film. The roller has a region where a diameter of the roller gradually increases in a direction from a center to each of ends of the roller with respect to a generatrix direction of the film. The nip forming member has a protruding portion, protruding toward the roller and extending in the generatrix direction, that is provided on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side in the nip in a conveying direction of the recording material. Ends of the protruding portion in the generatrix direction are positioned at a larger distance from a center of the nip in the conveying direction than a central of the protruding portion in the generatrix direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kadowaki, Atsushi Iwasaki, Daizo Fukuzawa
  • Patent number: 9291967
    Abstract: A fixing device that fixes an image on a recording medium includes a rotatable endless belt, deployed in a loop supported by rollers, a nip forming member provided inside the loop formed by the belt, a support member that supports the nip forming member, a counter rotation body disposed outside the loop formed by the belt and configured to form a nip with the belt by being in contact with the nip forming member through the belt, and a heat source configured to heat the belt directly by a radiant heat except at the nip. The support member includes a base portion that contacts the nip forming member and two arms extending from the base portion in a direction away from the nip forming member to partially surround a part of heat generating portion of the heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Iwaya, Masahiko Satoh, Masaaki Yoshikawa, Kenji Ishii, Hiroshi Yoshinaga, Tadashi Ogawa, Takeshi Uchitani, Hiromasa Takagi, Takuya Seshita, Takahiro Imada, Takamasa Hase, Hajime Gotoh, Arinobu Yoshiura, Teppei Kawata, Toshihiko Shimokawa, Shuutaroh Yuasa, Kazuya Saito, Kensuke Yamaji, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9261836
    Abstract: A member for use in a fixing device includes a base member that has a substantially cylindrical shape, and a covering member with which an outer peripheral surface of the base member is covered, the covering member including a first release layer that contains a first fluorocarbon resin and a second release layer that contains a second fluorocarbon resin and that is stacked on an area in the outer peripheral surface of the first release layer other than end portions of the outer peripheral surface of the first release layer in a width direction. In the covering member, a coefficient of kinetic friction of the outer peripheral surface of the first release layer that is exposed at ends of the member for use in a fixing device in the width direction is greater than a coefficient of kinetic friction of an outer peripheral surface of the second release layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshiyasu Tanioka
  • Patent number: 9235174
    Abstract: A fixing member manufacturing method includes: a first step of externally fitting a resin tube around an elastic material; and a second step of squeezing an excessive adhesive between the elastic material and the resin tube. The second step includes: a step of externally fitting, around the resin tube in a longitudinal end side, a ring member having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the resin tube externally fitted around the elastic material; and a step of moving the ring member from the longitudinal end side toward another longitudinal end side of the resin tube while bringing the ring member into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the resin tube by air pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Kazuo Kishino, Yoshiaki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9158249
    Abstract: A fixing member including a base; a first elastic layer overlaid on an outer circumference of the base, the first elastic layer formed of a silicone rubber composition including a heat conductive filler and a micro-balloon, the heat conductive filler of the first elastic layer is a heat conductive needle shaped filler; a second elastic layer overlaid on an outer circumference of the first elastic layer, the second elastic layer formed of a silicone rubber composition including a heat conductive filler and a micro-balloon, the heat conductive filler of the second elastic layer is a heat conductive needle shaped filler and a heat conductive sphere shaped filler; and a release layer overlaid on an outer circumference of the second elastic layer. An amount of the heat conductive filler of the second elastic layer is larger than an amount of the heat conductive filler of the first elastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuko Arizumi, Tomoaki Sugawara, Tsuneaki Kondoh, Junichiro Natori
  • Patent number: 9110411
    Abstract: A fixing member manufacturing method includes: a step of coating an outer peripheral surface of an elastic material with an adhesive; a step of externally fitting a resin tube around the elastic material coated with the adhesive; a step of temporarily fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the resin tube at a longitudinal end portion; a step of temporarily fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the resin tube at the other longitudinal end portion except for a circumferential part of the resin tube; a step of squeezing out an excessive adhesive from between the elastic material and the resin tube, in a direction from the longitudinal end portion to the other longitudinal end portion of the resin tube; and a step of fixing the resin tube onto the elastic material by heating the adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Akiyama, Hiroto Sugimoto, Yasuhiro Miyahara, Yoshiaki Yoshida, Jun Miura
  • Patent number: 9069302
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing rotary body, an opposed member, a heater, and a heating controller. The opposed member opposes the fixing rotary body to form a nipping portion therebetween. The heater includes heat generators arranged in a width direction of a recording medium. When the recording medium fed to the nipping portion has an image area and a non-image area, the heating controller controls the outputs of the heat generators based on image information so that a first heat generator of the heat generators corresponding to the image area is higher in temperature and a second heat generator of the heat generators corresponding to the non-image area is lower in temperature. Based on information other than the image information, the heating controller temporarily shifts an area of the fixing rotary body corresponding to the non-image area to a temperature differing from a normal temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Samei, Takumi Waida, Hiroshi Ono, Takeshi Yamamoto, Ippei Fujimoto, Hiroshi Seo, Yasunori Ishigaya, Kazuhito Kishi, Ryota Yamashina
  • Patent number: 9034474
    Abstract: A fixing belt includes a cylindrical base composed of a metal and a polyimide resin layer formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical base, in which the polyimide resin layer has an imidization rate of 70% to 93%, and comprises a polyimide resin containing a specific constitutional unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuo Kishino, Katsuhisa Matsunaka, Hiroto Sugimoto, Hidekazu Maruta, Nobuyuki Kume, Keigo Kaji, Ko Nakano
  • Patent number: 8958734
    Abstract: There are provided a fixing device having excellent fixation properties when a toner image is fixed onto a member to be subjected to fixation, and an image forming apparatus including the fixing device. A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a fixing roller and a heating roller between which the fixing belt is wound under tension, and a pressure roller which is in pressure-contact with the fixing roller through the fixing belt. An elastic layer as a surface layer of the fixing roller has, when being brought into pressure-contact with the pressure roller through the fixing belt, a pressing rate of 40% or more, and an Asker C hardness of 20 degrees or more and less than 30 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8942589
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a film, a heater that contacts the inner face of the film and is capable of changing heat distribution, and a pressure member that forms the nip portion with the heater via the film, the pressure member including a region on which a diameter is increased from a center portion toward an end portion, wherein the fixing apparatus performs heater control so that a ratio of an amount of heat generation at the end portion of the heater to an amount of heat generation at the center portion of the heater is changed based on a temperature of the end portion of the pressure member, during a period at least from when the warm-up of the fixing apparatus is started until the recording material reaches the nip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Asami, Toshiya Kaino, Taisuke Minagawa, Koji Nihonyanagi
  • Patent number: 8913939
    Abstract: A pressing member for fixing includes a substantially cylindrical substrate; a first layer that is disposed on an outer surface of the substrate, that contains bubbles, and that is elastic; a second layer disposed on an outer surface of the first layer; and an adhesive layer bonding together the first layer and the second layer. The pressing member has an adhesive-free unbonded region between the first layer and the second layer. The unbonded region extends to at least one end of the pressing member in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Issei Fujihara
  • Patent number: 8913937
    Abstract: A roller for a fixing device includes a foam layer; an elastic layer containing a thermo-conductive filler and provided outside of the foam layer; a middle layer provided between the foam layer and elastic layer; wherein a content of all filler in the middle layer is smaller than a content of all filler in the elastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 8886070
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a fixing member that fixes a toner image onto a recording medium, a first heater that locally heats the fixing member by providing heat only to a portion of the fixing member corresponding to the toner image, and a pressing member that presses a recording medium against the fixing member. A second heater is provided to heat the pressing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryota Yamashina
  • Patent number: 8879974
    Abstract: An image heating device includes an endless belt including a base layer and an elastic layer formed around the base layer, a contact member contacting an inner surface of the endless belt, a pressure rotating member forming a nip portion configured to convey a recording material while nipping the recording material along with the contact member via the endless belt, wherein an image formed on the recording material is heated at the nip portion using heat from the endless belt, and wherein one end of the endless belt is coated with the elastic layer and the other end of the endless belt is not coated with the elastic layer, and a belt lateral shifting direction regulating mechanism configured to regulate a direction in which the endless belt shifts when the endless belt is rotated, toward the end coated with the elastic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsutoshi Ando, Tohru Saito, Eiji Uekawa, Masashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8874018
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device that includes a heating unit which comprises a first heat source to heat an unfixed image on a print medium, and a pressing unit which forms a fixing nip by contacting the heating unit, where the pressing unit comprises a carbon nanotube heating layer as a second heat source to heat the unfixed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-woo Lee, Soo-hwan Bae
  • Publication number: 20140314460
    Abstract: A sheet pressing device includes plurality of pressing members and a support member. The plurality of pressing members is provided on a downstream side in a discharging direction of fixing unit which carries out a fixing treatment over a sheet having an unfixed image transferred thereonto along the discharging direction. The plurality of pressing members presses both ends of the sheet in a direction along a surface of the sheet carried out the fixing treatment by the fixing unit and in a direction crossing the discharging direction. The support member supports the plurality of pressing members movably in such a direction as to approach or separate from the sheet when the sheet passes through the sheet pressing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihiro ICHIKI, Yasuki TANAKA, Motoyuki YAGI
  • Patent number: 8831499
    Abstract: A thermally conductive silicone rubber sponge composition which is composed of 100 parts by weight of heat-curable organopolysiloxane composition, 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of organic resin hollow filler having an average particle diameter of up to 200 ?m and a true specific gravity of up to 0.3, and 20 to 300 parts by weight of thermally conductive filler having an average particle diameter of 1 to 30 ?m and a thermal conductivity of at least 15 W/m·K, with the highly thermally conductive silicone rubber sponge having voids accounting for 10 to 70% of the entire volume thereof. The silicone rubber sponge composition of the present invention gives a silicone rubber sponge having high thermal conductivity, small heat capacity, low hardness, light weight, and low permanent compression set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satao Hirabayashi, Nobumasa Tomizawa, Noriyuki Meguriya
  • Patent number: 8824943
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a fuser includes a fixing belt including a conductive layer, an induction-current generating section configured to electromagnetically induction-heat the conductive layer, a pressurizing section opposed to the outer circumference of the fixing belt, and a nip forming section including a first supporting roller present in the inner circumference of the fixing belt and shorter than the width of the pressurizing section and a second supporting roller present downstream of the first supporting roller in a rotating direction of the fixing belt and shorter than the width of the pressurizing section, the nip forming section being configured to form a nip between the fixing belt and the pressurizing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 8811871
    Abstract: Provided are a fixing device and an image forming apparatus provided with the same, which prevent the winding of a small paper having a light weight on a fixing belt, and also prevents paper blockage and paper curling. A detachment angle, which is defined by a tangent line of a fixing roller and a paper conveying direction at a paper exit point of a fixing nip portion where the fixing roller and a pressing roller pressure-contact with each other, is kept at 23 degrees or more, and a sheet of paper passes through the fixing nip portion, and a setting temperature of the pressing roller is increased step by step in accordance with the number of the sheet of paper by a heater lamp provided in an inside of the pressing roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Yamana
  • Patent number: 8796602
    Abstract: An induction heating device includes the following elements: a resonance circuit; a power factor improvement circuit for boosting rectified output, supplying the output to an inverter, and improving the power factor of a commercial alternating current; and a load material detector for detecting the material of the load. The inverter includes switching elements forming a full-bridge circuit. The drive frequency of the switching elements is switched between a frequency substantially equal to a resonance frequency of the resonance circuit and a frequency substantially 1/n time (n being an integer equal to or larger than two) thereof, according to a detection result of the load material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Miyauchi, Izuo Hirota
  • Publication number: 20140212191
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member, a pressing member to contact the fixing member with pressure to form a nip between the pressing member and the fixing member, an induction heating unit serving as a heating source to heat the fixing member, and a conductive wire drawn out of the induction heating unit to be disposed outside the cover member through a hole provided substantially at a center of the cover member in a longitudinal direction of the induction heating unit. The induction heating unit includes an excitation coil, a coil holder to hold the excitation coil, and a cover member provided facing the coil holder with the coil holder interposed between the cover member and the fixing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Susumu MATSUSAKA, Shota Kobashigawa, Motokazu Hasegawa, Yukari Isoe
  • Patent number: 8787807
    Abstract: A printer having a body and a fixing mechanism is provided. The body has a first transporting track. The fixing mechanism has a heating mechanism and a pressurized mechanism, and the first transporting track is disposed between the heating mechanism and the pressurized mechanism. During a printing procedure, the heating mechanism provides a toner fixed temperature, and the pressurized mechanism provides a toner fixed pressure. During laminating procedure, the heating mechanism provides a laminating temperature, and the pressurized mechanism provides a laminating pressure. There is no additional laminating mechanism disposed inside the printer. The printer can execute a toner fixed function or a laminating function by adjusting the temperature and the pressure of the fixing mechanism originally disposed in the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignees: Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited, Kinpo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Kai-Wei Lin
  • Publication number: 20140169848
    Abstract: According to embodiments, a heating member or a sliding member arranged in contact with the surface of a fusing roller is moved in an intersecting direction with the rotational direction of the fusing roller in a contact state with the heating member or the sliding member so as to prevent a scratch from being generated on the surface of the fusing roller or to repair the scratch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Tanaka, Atsuyoshi Abe, Daisuke Aoki, Kazuhisa Kemmochi, Tsutomu Miki
  • Publication number: 20140161500
    Abstract: A fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a recording material through a nip includes a sleeve; a nip forming member contacting an inner surface of the sleeve; a halogen heater provided in the sleeve; and a back-up member cooperating with the nip forming member to form the nip through the sleeve, wherein a surface of the nip forming member which contacts an inner surface of the sleeve is convex in a direction of approaching the back-up member, from each of opposite end portions thereof toward a central portion thereof with respect to a generatrix direction of the sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kataoka, Tetsuya Sano, Tomoaki Nakai, Yusuke Jota
  • Publication number: 20140133872
    Abstract: A fixing unit which may be disposed in an image forming includes a heating roller, at least one pressure roller being in pressure contact with the heating roller to form a nip together with the heating roller, and a pressure releasing member partially restricting application of pressure to the nip. The nip includes an effective fixing section used for fixing. The pressure releasing member includes a pair of pressure releasing parts inserted into sections of the nip other than the effective fixing section, a connection part connecting the pair of pressure releasing parts, and guide parts extending from the connection part in the same direction as the pair of pressure releasing parts. The pressure releasing member prevents deformation of a portion of an elastic layer formed on the heating roller which corresponds to the effective fixing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Woo KANG, Jin Gue Ko, Hyun Joon Keum, Seung Jun Lee
  • Publication number: 20140112692
    Abstract: A rotatable fixing member includes an elastic layer, a primer layer provided on the elastic layer, and a parting layer provided on the primer layer. The primer layer contains a crystalline fluorocarbon polymer having a functional group and has a thickness of 850 nm or less. The parting layer is a coating layer of a crystalline fluorocarbon polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahito Omata, Shoji Umehara, Shuichi Tetsuno, Akeshi Asaka, Masayuki Onuma, Yusuke Baba, Kazuo Kishino
  • Patent number: 8699932
    Abstract: A fixing unit is provided with a heating mechanism configured to define an arcuate heating zone, a heating roller including a circumferential surface extending along the heating zone, a belt wound on the heating roller along the circumferential surface, a tensioner configured to apply tension to the belt; and a biasing mechanism configured to bias the tensioner in a biasing direction along an extending direction of the belt between the heating roller and the tensioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuo Tanda
  • Patent number: 8699904
    Abstract: A fixing device includes a rotatable first nip formation member, a rotatable second nip formation member, a first heater, a second heater, and a controller. The second nip formation member is provided under the first nip formation member to contact the first nip formation member to form a fixing nip portion between the first nip formation member and the second nip formation member. The first heater heats the first nip formation member. The second heater heats the second nip formation member. The controller supplies a portion of power to the second heater and the remainder of power to the first heater when a plurality of sheets having a sheet weight not greater than about 100 g/m2 passes through the fixing nip portion continuously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masami Okamoto, Jun Okamoto, Kazuo Suno, Kenji Nozawa, Naoto Suzuki, Syoichi Kaneko, Yoshihiro Sonohara, Keisuke Kubota, Takashi Kagami, Hiroyuki Shimada