Planar heater, fixing device, image forming apparatus, and method of manufacturing planar heater
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsTomoya Adachi, Yuusuke Furuichi, Yukimichi Someya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A planar heater includes a base, a resister pattern, a conductor pattern, a power supply electrode, and a base pattern. The base includes a surface portion made of an insulative material. The resistor pattern is on the base. The conductor pattern is on the base and electrically coupled to the resistor pattern. The power supply electrode is electrically coupled to the conductor pattern. The base pattern is on the base and made of a material different from a material of the surface portion of the base to print visible identification information.
Claims20
A planar heater comprising:
- a base including a surface portion made of an insulative material;
- a resistor pattern on the base;
- a conductor pattern being on the base and electrically coupled to the resistor pattern;
- a power supply electrode electrically coupled to the conductor pattern;
- and
- a base pattern being on the base and made of a material different from a material of the surface portion of the base, the base pattern including visible identification information, wherein
- the base pattern is screen-printed on the base, and
- the identification information is printed on the base pattern with ink having a color different from a color of the base pattern.
A fixing device comprising:
- a planar heater including,
- a base including a surface portion made of an insulative material,
- a resistor pattern on the base,
- a conductor pattern being on the base and electrically coupled to the resistor pattern,
- a power supply electrode electrically coupled to the conductor pattern, and
- a base pattern being on the base and made of a material different from a material of the surface portion of the base, the base pattern including visible identification information;
- a fixing belt configured to be heated by the planar heater;
- and
- a pressure rotator configured to press the planar heater via the fixing belt.
A method of manufacturing a planar heater, comprising:
- forming a resistor pattern and a conductor pattern electrically connected to the resistor pattern on a base including a surface portion made of an insulative material;
- and
- forming, on the base, a power supply electrode electrically coupled to the conductor pattern and a base pattern made of a material different from a material of the surface portion of the base, the base pattern including visible identification information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.