# US 12,222,665 B2 · Fixing device

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- Number: US 12,222,665 B2
- Document ID: US12222665B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/168,492
- Filed: 2023-02-13
- Published: 2023-08-31
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-28
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yasuharu Toratani; Akiyoshi Shinagawa; Hiroshi Miyamoto; Daigo Matsuura; Hiroki Kawai; Ayano Ogata; Asuna Fukamachi; Masanobu Tanaka; Misa Kawashima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222665B2

## CPC

- G03G 15/2053: {Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating}
- G03G 15/2064: {combined with pressure}
- G03G 15/2025: {with special means for lubricating and/or cleaning the fixing unit, e.g. applying offset preventing fluid}
- G03G 2215/2038: the belt further entrained around one or more rotating belt support members
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A fixing device includes a fixing belt configured to heat a recording material, a pressure member configured to press the fixing belt, and a sliding member configured to be in sliding contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt and being opposed to the pressure member. The pressure member and the fixing belt form a fixing nip portion, and heat and pressure are applied to the recording material at the fixing nip portion to fix a toner image onto the recording material. The sliding member includes a plurality of protrusions on a surface of the sliding member that is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt. The following expressions are satisfied: The fixing belt satisfies the prescribed formula.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fixing device comprising:
an endless fixing belt configured to heat a recording material;
a pressure member configured to press the fixing belt; and
a sliding member configured to be in sliding contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt and being opposed to the pressure member,
wherein the pressure member and the fixing belt form a fixing nip portion, and heat and pressure are applied to the recording material at the fixing nip portion to fix a toner image onto the recording material,
wherein the sliding member includes a plurality of protrusions on a surface of the sliding member that is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt, and
wherein the following expressions are satisfied:
1Pd2≤0.8 [N (Newton)] (1)
1≤15.6×(Pd4)/(Et3) [mm] (2)
where P [MPa] represents a pressure on the fixing nip portion, E [MPa] represents a Young's modulus of the fixing belt, t [mm] represents a thickness of the fixing belt, and d [mm] represents a distance between the plurality of protrusions in a sheet width direction of the recording material.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the sliding member includes a base material portion provided with the plurality of protrusions, and the base material portion and the plurality of protrusions are integrally formed of metal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein, in the sheet width direction, the distance between the plurality of protrusions corresponds to a distance between ends of adjacent protrusions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the sliding member includes a sliding layer and the sliding layer covers at least the plurality of protrusions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein, in the sheet width direction in the fixing nip portion, a width of an area of the sliding member that is in contact with the fixing belt is smaller than a width of an area of the sliding member that is out of contact with the fixing belt.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions are located at regular intervals in the sheet width direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the plurality of protrusions is a value calculated by averaging a plurality of distances between the plurality of protrusions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the Young's modulus of the fixing belt is set in the following range: 5000-150000 MPa.