# US 10,481,552 B2 · Fixing device having a perforated duct > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,552 B2 - Document ID: US10481552B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/986,673 - Filed: 2018-05-22 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-22 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Taisuke Minagawa; Satoru Izawa; Takahiro Uchiyama; Jun Asami; Toshiya Kaino; Wataru Uchida; Ken Murooka; Yasuhiko Fuse; Masatoshi Yoshida; Tomooku Koyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481552B2 ## CPC - G03G 21/206: {Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone} - G03G 15/2017: {Structural details of the fixing unit in general, e.g. cooling means, heat shielding means (G03G15/2053 takes precedence)} - G03G 15/2021: {Plurality of separate fixing and/or cooling areas or units, two step fixing} - G03G 15/2042: {specially for the axial heat partition} - F04D 25/166: {using fans} - G03G 15/2046: {specially for the influence of heat loss, e.g. due to the contact with the copy material or other roller} - G03G 15/2064: {combined with pressure} - G03G 2221/1645: for conducting air through the machine, e.g. cooling - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) ## Abstract An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording medium includes an image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a recording medium; a fixing unit that heats the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image and fixes the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium at a nip portion; a heating member and a pressurizing member that touches the heating member and forms the nip portion therebetween; a first blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the heating member; and a second blower that blows air to a non-sheet-passing area of a small-size recording medium in the pressurizing member. Upon the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area of the heating member exceeding a threshold temperature, the first blower blows without the second blower blowing, then the two blowers start blowing together. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fixing apparatus that performs fixing processing, comprising: a first rotating member configured to be driven by a driving source; a second rotating member configured to be driven by the first rotating member, the first rotating member and the second rotating member forming a nip therebetween; a blowing member configured to blow air to one of the first rotating member and the second rotating member, the one being not in contact with an unfixed toner image which is a toner image that has not been fixed yet; and a duct that includes an opening for taking in air from the blowing member and further includes holes for discharging the air taken in through the opening toward the one; wherein a number of the holes per unit length of the duct in a generatrix direction of the one provided in an area of the duct facing the sheet-passing area is less than number of the holes per unit length of the duct in the generatrix direction of the one provided in an area thereof facing the non-sheet-passing area, wherein the fixing processing is processing of fixing the unfixed toner image to a recording medium by applying heat while conveying the recording medium with the unfixed toner image thereon at the nip, wherein the blowing member is, at least, driven in a case where a temperature of the one is lower than a threshold temperature when warming up of the fixing apparatus is started, and wherein volume of air to a sheet-passing area of the one is smaller than volume of air to a non-sheet-passing area of the one. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus that includes the fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing apparatus includes an environmental detection member configured to detect humidity of an environment in which the image forming apparatus is installed, and wherein the blowing member is driven in a case where the humidity detected by the environmental detection member is higher than a predetermined value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet-passing area and the non-sheet-passing area are a sheet-passing area and a non-sheet-passing area of a recording medium having a maximum width conveyable at the fixing apparatus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holes are provided downstream of the nip in a recording medium conveyance direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holes provided in the area of the duct facing the non-sheet-passing area are provided in a wider range in the recording medium conveyance direction than the holes provided in the area of the duct facing the sheet-passing area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first rotating member is a pressurizing roller, wherein the one is the pressurizing roller, and wherein the second rotating member is a cylindrical film. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fixing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a heater provided in contact with an inner face of the film; wherein the heater and the pressurizing roller form the nip, with the film sandwiched therebetween.