Abstract: A fuser assembly for an electrophotographic imaging device which transfers heat from overheated portions of the fuser assembly to portions having lesser temperatures. The fuser assembly includes a heating member; a backup roll disposed proximate to the heating member so as to form a fuser nip therewith; a heat transfer device in contact with backup roll; a positioning mechanism coupled to the heat transfer device for positioning the heat transfer device in a first position in which the heat transfer device contacts the backup roll, and a second position in which the heat transfer device is spaced apart from the backup roll; and a latch mechanism for latching the heat transfer device in the second position.

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.

Abstract: A fixation device includes a first roller, a second roller facing the first roller, a stretch member configured to travel to pass between the first roller and the second roller, a press member configured to press the stretch member against the first roller, a heater member configured to heat the stretch member, a movement mechanism configured to move at least one of the first roller and the second roller in such directions that the first roller and the second roller come close to each other and are spaced away from each other, and a controller configured, depending on a type of a medium, to change a contact state between the first roller and the second roller by driving the movement mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device; a mode selecting unit for selecting one of a normal mode and a power save mode; and a fixing control unit. The fixing device includes a rotational member, a pressing member disposed to press against the rotational member for sandwiching and pressing a print medium with the rotational member after a developer image is developed on the print medium, and a heating portion for heating the rotational member. In the normal mode, a normal printing operation is enabled. In the power save mode, the printing operation is partially terminated to conserve power consumption. The fixing control unit controls the rotational member to rotate for a specific amount when the mode selecting unit selects the power save mode.

Abstract: There is provided a fixing device including: a heating member that, while rotating, heats and fixes a developer image onto a recording medium; a pressing member that nips and presses the recording medium between itself and the heating member; an external heating member configured to make contact with an outer surface of the heating member and to move away from the outer surface of the heating member, the external heating member making contact with the outer surface of the heating member and heating the heating member; and a moving section that computes a contact position of a leading edge of the recording medium and the outer surface of the heating member, and moves the external heating member such that the external heating member contacts the outer surface of the heating member based on the computed position.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotating member supporting section supporting a first rotating member rotatably and movable in direction in which the first rotating member approaches and leaves a second rotating member; a compression spring pushing the rotating member supporting section in the direction of approaching the second rotating member; and a pressing member pressing the compression spring to the rotating member supporting section.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, an exposure device to irradiate light to the photosensitive body to form the electrostatic latent image, a developing device to adhere a developer to the photosensitive body to form a visible image, a transfer device to transfer the visible image formed on the photosensitive body onto a printing medium, and a fusing unit to fuse the visible image to the printing medium. The fusing unit includes a heating roller to apply heat to the printing medium, a press roller to contact the heating roller to press the printing medium, a press lever to press any one of the heating roller and the press roller to the other, an adjusting lever rotatably coupled to the press lever, and a pressing force adjusting device to operate the adjusting lever to move the press lever.

Abstract: In a beltless tandem-type image forming apparatus, a plurality of pairs of transfer rollers are placed side by side at intervals along a conveying direction of sheets. A control section independently conveys sheets in sequence through nip sections of respective pairs of transfer rollers driven by a driving section while sequentially transferring images formed by an imaging section onto the sheets. Conveying speeds of the respective pairs of transfer rollers controlled by the driving section are gradually decreased for every pair of transfer rollers from an upstream side toward a downstream side along a conveying direction of the sheets, and consequently, a driving period for driving the respective pairs of transfer rollers to convey each sheet is gradually increased for every pair of transfer rollers from the upstream side toward the downstream side along the conveying direction of the sheets.

Abstract: An enhanced sheet stripping method and apparatus for stripping toner image carrying copy sheets from a surface of a moving heated fusing member forming a fusing nip. The apparatus includes (a) a moving assembly for moving a cut sheet towards the fusing nip; (b) a sheet curling device positioned upstream of the fusing nip relative to movement of the cut sheet for inducing a desired pre-curl in the cut sheet before the cut sheet enters the fusing nip; and (c) a sheet stripping device positioned downstream of the fusing nip for stripping the cut sheet from contact with the surface of the moving heated fusing member as the cut sheet exits the fusing nip. The method includes inducing a desired curl in the cut sheet before the cut sheet enters the fusing nip and enhanced stripping the cut sheet from contact with the surface of the fuser roll as the cut sheet exits the fusing nip.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit fixing a toner image onto a sheet. The fixing unit includes a heating member having a sheet conveyed region that is set in accordance with the size of the sheet. The fixing unit further includes a coil generating magnetic field, a fixed core forming a magnetic path, movable cores forming a magnetic path together with the fixed core and arranged along the sheet conveyed region, a shielding member arranged on at least one movable core and shielding magnetism, and a magnetism adjustment unit rotating at least one movable core to switch the position of the shielding member between a shielding position where the shielding member is positioned inside the sheet conveyed region to shield the magnetism and a retracted position where the shielding member is positioned outside the sheet conveyed region to permit pass of the magnetism.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a heating member disposed with an internal heating source and a pressuring member that presses against the heating member. The fixing device is configured to be attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus body, and includes: brackets that retain the heating member; pressuring levers that retain the pressuring member and are movably supported in the brackets; urging means that push the pressuring levers in a direction where the pressuring member presses against the heating member; and cams that are rotatably supported in the brackets, contact the pressuring levers, and adjust the pressuring force of the pressuring member.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus according to the present invention ensures a nip width larger than a certain value by a heating roller which has a thin film metal conductive layer, and a foamed rubber layer which is bonded to the end part of the metal conductive layer, formed with a gap in a center part, and not bonded to the metal conductive layer.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus according to the present invention ensures a nip width larger than a certain value by a heating roller which has a thin film metal conductive layer, and a foamed rubber layer which is bonded to the end part of the metal conductive layer, formed with a gap in a center part, and not bonded to the metal conductive layer.

Abstract: Provided is a printing device comprising a hot roller having an inside surface and an outside surface. A heating element is present within the hot roller. The inside surface has a first region, wherein the first region is coated with a first type of material. The inside surface has a second region, wherein the second region is coated with the first type of material, and wherein second region is of a different dimension than the first region. The inside surface has a third region, wherein the third region is coated with a second type of material.

Abstract: The heating apparatus of a surface-heating type, includes a rotary member, an opposing member that forms a nip with respect to the rotary member, and a heating member for heating a portion of a rotary member surface other than the nip, in which temperature used for heating the rotary member by the heating member is controlled, and a heating material inserted in the nip to be nipped and conveyed therein is heated using heat of the rotary member. Accordingly, after insertion of the heating material in the nip starts, control temperature of the heating member is increased before the rotary member rotates by one revolution, thereby preventing an uneven heating phenomenon of the heating material in the first revolution and the second revolution or later, and preventing uneven gloss due to the uneven heating phenomenon in the fixing apparatus.

Abstract: A fusing device (23) has heat reflectors (238) and (239) positioned in consideration of the fact that convective heat loss from respective outer surfaces of the heat reflectors (238) and (239) depends on orientation of the outer surfaces. More specifically, each of the heat reflectors (238) and (239) are positioned so as to have a convective heat transfer coefficient ? of up to 0.9. The convective heat transfer coefficient ? is given by the following expression: ?=(Su+0.77Sh+0.54Sd)/(Su+Sh+Sd), were Su is a projected area of an outer surface of each of the heat reflectors on an upper horizontal plane, Sh is a projected area of the same on a vertical plane, and Sd is a projected area of the same on a lower horizontal plane.

Abstract: A fixer (heater) includes a heat roller and a pressure roller pressing each other. The fixer heats a heated material by passing the heated material through a press region where the heat roller and the pressure roller meet. The fixer further includes an external heat roller heating the pressure roller from outside the pressure roller. A transit time taken for any given point on the heated material to pass through the press region is less than or equal to 2.3×10?2 sec. The surface temperature, T1 (° C.), of the heat roller and the surface temperature, T2 (° C.), of the pressure roller satisfy T1-T2?100 (° C.), and preferably satisfy T1-T2?70 (° C.). The load on the heat roller is reduced, and so is the power consumption.

Abstract: A reprographic marking device has two rolls, e.g., a pressure roll and a fuser roll, forming a nip. A drive motor moves the rolls in a continuous back and forth lateral motion to change the position of the rolls relative to a paper sheet passing through the nip.

Abstract: A heating apparatus includes first and second coil members, first and second temperature detectors and an output controller. The detectors detect temperatures of the coil members. The output controller supplies the first coil member with a first specified output until the first temperature detector detects that the first coil member heats the object. The second coil member is not supplied with a second specified output during this time. When the object reaches a specified temperature, the first specified output stops being supplied to the first coil member and the second specified output is supplied to the second coil member. The temperature of an area heated by the second coil member reaches a specified temperature. A comparison is made between temperatures detected by the first and second temperature detectors. The coil members are alternately supplied with first and second specified outputs to heat the object's area indicating a lower temperature.

Abstract: A pressure member is provided suitable for use in an image forming system. The pressure member includes a core surrounded by a sleeve. The inner perimeter of the sleeve is large than the outer perimeter of the core to enable the sleeve to be removed and replaced easily when worn out.

Abstract: A heating device suitable for use as a fixing means for fixing a toner image onto a recording medium in, e.g., an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided so as to provide images free from image blurring or fixing failure while improving the anti-offset performance. The heating device includes a heating member, and a heat-resistant film having a first surface to be moved relative to and in contact with the heating member and a second surface to be in contact with a member to be heated, so that the member to be heated and the heat-resistant film are moved together over the heating member to heat the member to be heated. The heat-resistant film comprises at least a base layer and an elastic layer, wherein the elastic layer contains a filler exhibiting a thermal conductivity of at least 0.04 cal/cm.sec. °C.

Abstract: A fuser member having improved toner offset release and wear characteristics. The outermost layer comprises a fluoroelastomer with thermally conductive fillers which are surface treated with a coupling agent that is interactive with the fluoroelastomer and with a release agent which may, optionally, be used on the surface of the fluoroelastomer layer.

Abstract: In an image heating device for heating a film utilizing electromagnetic induction, a sliding member is provided between the film and a film supporting member, and the film slides relative to the sliding member. It is thereby possible to improve thermal efficiency while preventing wear due to friction between the film and the supporting member.

Abstract: An image fixing apparatus for thermally fixing images on an image receiving material at a predetermined image fixing temperature, comprising an image fixing device comprising a core member, and an exothermic phase transition layer provided on said core member, comprising an exothermic phase transition material which is capable of performing reversible phase transition from an amorphous solid state to a crystalline state with liberation of crystallization heat therefrom, and vice versa, and has a melting point higher than said predetermined image fixing temperature, a heating device which maintains the temperature of at least an outer surface of said image fixing device at said predetermined image fixing temperature, a first phase transition device which heats said exothermic phase transition layer, thereby having said exothermic phase transition material perform phase transition from said amorphous state to said crystalline state for liberation of crystallization heat therefrom, a second phase transition devi

Abstract: A fixing unit includes a heat roller accommodating a heater and a press roller movable toward and away from the heat roller. Both shaft members of the heat roller are supported by two receiving members, with a clearance provided between each shaft member and respective receiving member. A driven gear is provided to one of the shaft member, which engages a rotating mechanism for rotating the heat roller. The fixing unit further includes a biasing member which biases the other shaft of the heat roller away from the press roller within the clearance, in such a manner that the heat roller and the press roller become parallel when the above-described one shaft member is urged away from the press roller due to the meshing engagement of the driven gear and the rotating mechanism.

Abstract: In a fixing apparatus for an electrophotographic apparatus which comprises a suction apparatus (14) for attracting a rear surface of recording material (6) which continues longitudinally and holds a toner image on a major surface thereof, a preheater (10) for preheating the recording material while adhering the recording material to the preheater by attracting force of the suction apparatus, and a pair of fixing rollers (11) formed by a heat roller and a pressure roller urged to each other, wherein the recording material is sandwiched and carried while being heated and pressurized by the heat roller and the pressure roller at a pressing portion therebetween thereby to fix the toner image on the major surface of the recording material, the fixing apparatus further comprises a recording material lifting apparatus (15) having a projection member (15a) movable relative to the surface of the preheater.