# US 11,307,522 B2 · Heating device with a heat conductor including portions having different thicknesses > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,307,522 B2 - Document ID: US11307522B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/242,205 - Filed: 2021-04-27 - Published: 2021-08-12 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-02 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Kazuhiko Kikuchi; Sasuke Endo; Masaya Tanaka; Ryota Saeki; Kiyotaka Murakami; Kousei Miyashita; Ryosuke Kojima; Yohei Doi; Yuki Kawashima; Eiji Shinohara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307522B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/2053: {Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating} - G03G 15/2039: {with means for controlling the fixing temperature} - G03G 15/2064: {combined with pressure} - G03G 2215/2035: the fixing nip having a stationary belt support member opposing a pressure member - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A heating device includes a rotatable film, a heater including a substrate that extends along a first direction, and a heater element on the substrate and facing the film, a heat conductor having first and second surfaces and including a first portion contacting the substrate, and a second portion that is adjacent to the first portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and does not contact the substrate, and a temperature sensing element on the second surface at a position corresponding to the second portion. A thickness of the first portion from the first surface to the second surface is greater than a thickness of the second portion from the first surface to the second surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heating device, comprising: a rotatable film; a heater including: a substrate that extends along a first direction, and a heater element on the substrate and facing the film; a heat conductor having first and second surfaces and including: a first portion contacting the substrate, and a second portion that is adjacent to the first portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and does not contact the substrate; and a temperature sensing element on the second surface at a position corresponding to the second portion, wherein a thickness of the first portion from the first surface to the second surface is greater than a thickness of the second portion from the first surface to the second surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heating device according to claim 1, wherein a first cross-sectional area, taken perpendicular to the first direction, of the first portion is greater than a second cross-sectional area of the second portion, taken perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heating device according to claim 1, wherein a first groove is formed along the first surface between the second portion and the substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The heating device according to claim 3, wherein the heat conductor further includes a third portion that is adjacent to the second portion in the second direction, and a second groove is formed along the first surface between the third portion and the substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The heating device according to claim 4, wherein the second groove extends from the first groove to an outer edge of the heat conductor along the second direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The heating device according to claim 3, wherein the first groove extends from one end of the first surface to the other end of the first surface along the first direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heating device according to claim 1, wherein the second surface has a recess. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The heating device according to claim 7, wherein the temperature sensing element is in the recess. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The heating device according to claim 7, wherein the recess has a bottom surface that is closer to the first surface than to the second surface. ### Claim 10 An image processing apparatus, comprising: a heating device including: a rotatable film, a heater including: a substrate that extends along a first direction, and a heater element on the substrate and facing the film, a heat conductor having first and second surfaces and including: a first portion contacting the substrate, and a second portion that is adjacent to the first portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and does not contact the substrate, and a temperature sensing element on the second surface at a position corresponding to the second portion; and a controller configured to control the heating device for an image processing operation, wherein a thickness of the first portion from the first surface to the second surface is greater than a thickness of the second portion from the first surface to the second surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a first cross-sectional area, taken perpendicular to the first direction, of the first portion is greater than a second cross-sectional area of the second portion, taken perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a first groove is formed along the first surface between the second portion and the substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the heat conductor further includes a third portion that is adjacent to the second portion in the second direction, and a second groove is formed along the first surface between the third portion and the substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second groove extends from the first groove to an outer edge of the heat conductor along the second direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first groove extends from one end of the first surface to the other end of the first surface along the first direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second surface has a recess. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The image processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the temperature sensing element is in the recess. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The image processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the recess has a bottom surface that is closer to the first surface than to the second surface. ### Claim 19 A heating device, comprising: a rotatable film; a heater including: a substrate that extends along a first direction, and a heater element on the substrate and facing the film; a heat conductor having first and second surfaces and including: a first portion contacting the substrate, a second portion that is adjacent to the first portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and does not contact the substrate, and a protrusion on the second surface that is centered with respect to two edges of the heat conductor along the second direction; and a temperature sensing element on the protrusion at a position corresponding to the second portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The heating device according to claim 19, wherein a first groove is formed along the first surface such that the second portion does not contact the substrate, and the protrusion has a top surface, a planar area of which is greater than a planar area of a bottom surface of the first groove.