Fixing device and image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsDaisuke Inoue, Tomoya Adachi, Yuusuke Furuichi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixing device includes an endless belt that rotates and a pressure rotator that rotates and presses against the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium bearing an image is conveyed. A heater is disposed inside a loop formed by the endless belt. The heater heats the endless belt. A conductor is disposed upstream from the pressure rotator in a recording medium conveyance direction and grounded. The conductor contacts and detects the recording medium.
Claims20
A fixing device comprising:
- an endless belt configured to rotate;
- a pressure rotator configured to rotate and press against the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator, the fixing nip through which a recording medium bearing an image is conveyed;
- a heater disposed inside a loop formed by the endless belt, the heater configured to heat the endless belt;
- and
- a conductor disposed upstream from the pressure rotator in a recording medium conveyance direction and grounded, the conductor configured to contact the recording medium, ground the recording medium, and detect contact with the recording medium.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an endless belt configured to rotate;
- a pressure rotator configured to rotate and press against the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator, the fixing nip through which a recording medium bearing an image is conveyed;
- a heater disposed inside a loop formed by the endless belt, the heater configured to heat the endless belt;
- a conductor disposed upstream from the pressure rotator in a recording medium conveyance direction and grounded, the conductor configured to contact and detect the recording medium;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the conductor, the controller configured to change a rotation speed at which the pressure rotator rotates to convey the recording medium if the conductor does not detect that the recording medium contacts the conductor.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image bearer configured to bear an image;
- and
- a fixing device configured to fix the image on a recording medium, the fixing device including:
- an endless belt configured to rotate;
- a pressure rotator configured to rotate and press against the endless belt to form a fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressure rotator, the fixing nip through which the recording medium bearing the image is conveyed;
- a heater disposed inside a loop formed by the endless belt, the heater configured to heat the endless belt;
- and
- a conductor disposed upstream from the pressure rotator in a recording medium conveyance direction and grounded, the conductor configured to contact the recording medium, ground the recording medium, and detect contact with the recording medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.