# US 11,500,313 B2 · Imaging system including heating element and cooling device

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- Number: US 11,500,313 B2
- Document ID: US11500313B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/255,687
- Filed: 2019-07-01
- Published: 2021-09-16
- Granted: 2022-11-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-31
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Takayuki Horie
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11500313B2

## CPC

- G03G 15/2021: {Plurality of separate fixing and/or cooling areas or units, two step fixing}
- G03G 15/6573: {Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing}
- G03G 15/2028: {with means for handling the copy material in the fixing nip, e.g. introduction guides, stripping means}
- G03G 15/205: {specially for the mode of operation, e.g. standby, warming-up, error (G03G15/2046 takes precedence)}
- G03G 15/2064: {combined with pressure}
- G03G 15/6529: {Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence)}
- G03G 15/6585: {by using non-standard toners, e.g. transparent toner, gloss adding devices}
- G03G 21/206: {Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone}
- G03G 2215/00805: Gloss adding or lowering device
- G03G 2215/0081: Gloss level being selectable
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

An imaging system includes: a conveyor belt that conveys a medium having a toner image fixed thereto, along a conveying route; a heating element to heat the conveyor belt; and a pressing roller to press the conveyor belt against the heating element. The heating element may have a planar surface adjacent to an inner peripheral surface of the conveyor belt.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An imaging system comprising:
an endless belt to convey a medium having a toner image fixed thereto, along a conveying route in a conveying direction;
a pair of rollers including a first roller and a second roller, to engage with the endless belt;
a heating element located between the first roller and the second roller along the conveying route, the heating element having a planar surface adjacent to an inner peripheral surface of the endless belt;
a pressing roller to apply a pressure to the medium conveyed by the endless belt, wherein the pressing roller is located on a side of the endless belt that is opposite to the planar surface of the heating element;
a cooling device located downstream from the heating element in the conveying direction of the conveying route of the medium, between the first roller and the second roller; and
an external roller, including a heating element, located upstream from the heating element in the conveying direction of the conveying route of the medium and adjacent to an outer peripheral side of the endless belt to directly contact a portion of the endless belt that engages with the second roller.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the planar surface of the heating element includes a first heated surface portion contacting a portion of the endless belt adjacent to the pressing roller and a second heated surface portion located between the first heated surface portion and the second roller and contacting a portion of the endless belt that is offset relative to the pressing roller, along the conveying route.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the second roller is located upstream from the first roller in the conveying direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the second roller includes a heating element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The imaging system according to claim 1, further comprising:
an assisting roller located upstream from the pressing roller in the conveying route, the assisting roller to contact a surface of the endless belt that is opposite to the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the external roller is located at a position that sandwiches the endless belt with the second roller.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the external roller is located at a position upstream of the pressing roller to heat the endless belt before the pressure is applied to the medium conveyed by the endless belt.

### Claim 8

An imaging system comprising:
an endless belt to convey a medium having a toner image fixed thereto, along a conveying route;
a pressing roller located adjacent the endless belt to apply a pressure to the medium;
a heating element located adjacent to an inner peripheral surface of the endless belt, the heating element including a first heated surface portion to contact a portion of the endless belt adjacent to the pressing roller and a second heated surface portion located upstream from the first heated surface portion to heat the medium to be supplied to the pressing roller;
a cooling device located downstream from the heating element in a conveying direction of the medium, to cool the endless belt;
a heating roller located upstream from the pressing roller in the conveying route, the heating roller to directly contact a surface of the endless belt that is opposite to the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt; and
an assisting roller located upstream from the pressing roller in the conveying route, the assisting roller to directly contact the surface of the endless belt that is opposite to the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The imaging system according to claim 8, further comprising:
a pair of rollers including a first roller and a second roller to engage with the endless belt,
wherein the first heated surface portion and the second heated surface portion of the heating element are located between the first roller and the second roller along the conveying route.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The imaging system according to claim 8, further comprising a belt roller to engage with the endless belt, wherein the belt roller includes a heating element.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The imaging system according to claim 8, wherein the assisting roller is to apply a pressure to the medium.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The imaging system according to claim 9, wherein the assisting roller is to contact the surface of the endless belt at a location that engages the second roller.

### Claim 13

An imaging system comprising:
a conveyor belt to convey a medium having a toner image fixed thereto, along a conveying route in a conveying direction;
a heating element having a heated surface to heat the conveyor belt;
a pressing roller located on a side of the conveyor belt that is opposite to the heated surface of the heating element, the pressing roller to press the conveyor belt against the heated surface in a pressing region;
a heating roller located upstream from the pressing roller in the conveying route and adjacent to the side of the conveyor belt that is opposite to the heated surface of the heating element; and
an assisting roller located upstream from the pressing roller in the conveying route, the assisting roller to directly contact the side of the conveyor belt that is opposite to the heated surface of the heating element,
wherein the heated surface of the heating element is longer in the conveying direction than the pressing region between the heated surface and the pressing roller.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The imaging system according to claim 13,
wherein the heated surface includes a first heated surface portion located in alignment with the pressing roller and a second heated surface portion located upstream from the first heated surface portion in the conveying direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The imaging system according to claim 13, further comprising:
a first roller and a second roller to engage with the conveyor belt,
wherein the second roller is a heating roller located upstream from the first roller in the conveying route.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The imaging system according to claim 13, further comprising:
a first roller and a second roller to engage with the conveyor belt, the second roller being located upstream from the first roller in the conveying route,
wherein the heating roller is to contact a portion of the conveyor belt adjacent the second roller.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The imaging system according to claim 16, wherein the heating roller is located at a position that sandwiches the conveyor belt with the second roller.