US 11,599,061 B2Granted

Image forming apparatus

AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.

InventorsKei Saito, Tomoya Adachi, Yuusuke Furuichi

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a heating device including a heater, a developing device, and an airflow generation device. The heater includes a base, a heat generator, an electrode portion, and conductive portions. The conductive portions are disposed on one side and another side in a longitudinal direction in a heat generation region and spaced apart in a lateral direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. A maximum total value among total values of squares of current flowing in the conductive portions at longitudinal positions on the one side is larger than that on said another side. The developing device includes a rotating member and sliding portions. A sliding portion having highest temperature in operation is disposed on one side of the developing device being same as the one side of the heater in the longitudinal direction. The airflow generation device generates an airflow toward the one side of the developing device.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a heating device including a heater;
a developing device;
and
an airflow generation device, wherein
the heater includes:
a base;
a heat generator;
an electrode portion;
and
a plurality of conductive portions connecting the heat generator and the electrode portion,
the plurality of conductive portions are disposed on one side and another side of the heater, the one side being opposite to said another side with respect to a center in a longitudinal direction of the heater in a heat generation region of the heater,
the plurality of conductive portions are spaced apart in a lateral direction intersecting the longitudinal direction along a surface of the heater on which the heat generator is disposed,
a maximum total value among total values of squares of current flowing in the plurality of conductive portions at arbitrary longitudinal positions on the one side in the heat generation region is larger than a maximum total value among total values of squares of current flowing in the plurality of conductive portions at arbitrary longitudinal positions on said another side in the heat generation region,
the developing device includes:
a rotating member;
a plurality of sliding portions configured to slide relative to the rotating member;
and
a drive force input portion configured to input a drive force to the rotating member on the one side, and
the airflow generation device is configured to generate an airflow toward the one side of the developing device.

16 more elements

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a heating device including a heater;
a developing device;
and
an airflow generation device, wherein
the heater includes:
a heat generation portion having at least one heat generator;
a first electrode portion;
a second electrode portion;
a first conductive portion connecting the heat generation portion and the first electrode portion;
a second conductive portion extending from the heat generation portion toward first end of the heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater and being connected to the second electrode portion;
and
a third conductive portion branching from the second conductive portion and extending toward a second end of the heater opposite to the first end in the longitudinal direction, the third conductive portion being connected to the second conductive portion or the second electrode portion not via the first conductive portion,
the developing device includes:
a rotating member and a plurality of sliding portions configured to slide relative to the rotating member, and
a drive force input portion configured to input a drive force to the rotating member on the one side of the developing device,
the drive force input portion is disposed on a same side in a longitudinal direction of the developing device as one side of the heater with respect to a center of the heater in the longitudinal direction, the one side of the heater having a higher temperature in operation than another side of the heater, said another side of the heater being opposite to the one side of the heater with respect to the center in the longitudinal direction in a heat generation region of the heater, and
the airflow generation device is configured to generate an airflow toward the one side.

14 more elements

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a heating device including a heater;
a developing device;
and
an airflow generation device, wherein
the heater includes:
a first heat generation portion including at least one heat generator;
a second heat generation portion including at least one heat generator different from the heat generator included in the first heat generation portion;
a first electrode portion;
a second electrode portion;
a third electrode portion;
a first conductive portion connecting the first heat generation portion and the first electrode portion;
a second conductive portion extending from the first heat generation portion toward a first end of the heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater and being connected to the second electrode portion;
and
a third conductive portion branching from the second conductive portion and extending toward a second end of the heater opposite to the first end in the longitudinal direction, the third conductive portion being connected to the second conductive portion or the second electrode portion via the second heat generation portion and the third electrode portion and not via the first conductive portion,
the first heat generation portion is configured to generate heat when a potential difference is generated between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion,
the developing device includes:
a rotating member;
a plurality of sliding portions configured to slide relative to the rotating member;
and
a drive force input portion configured to input a drive force to the rotating member on the one side of the developing device,
the drive force input portion is disposed on a same side in a longitudinal direction of the developing device as a side on which the second end of the heater is disposed with respect to a center in a heat generation area of the heater in the longitudinal direction of the heater, and
the airflow generation device is configured to generate an airflow toward the side on which the second end of the heater is disposed with respect to the center in the longitudinal direction of the heater.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/888,489Filed 16 Aug 2022 · continuation
Priority: JP JP2020-15860623 Sep 2020
Published: US 2022/0091558 A18 Dec 2022
Granted: 7 Mar 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G03G 21/206
Humidity or temperature control also ozone evacuation; Internal apparatus environment control: conducting air through the machine, e.g. for…
G03G 15/0896
Using a solid developer, e.g. powder developer: arrangements or disposition of the complete developer unit or parts thereof not provided for by…
G03G 15/2042
With means for controlling the fixing temperature: specially for the axial heat partition
G03G 15/2053
Using contact heat: structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating

Family

Application17/480,154Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Sep 2021
US 2022/0390894 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Dec 2022
US 11,449,002 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2022/0091558 A1Published application
US 11,599,061 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.