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US 12,596,318 B2Granted
Image forming apparatus
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKiyotaka Murakami
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form a toner image on a sheet and a fixing device to heat the toner image. The fixing device includes a cylindrical belt, a heater within the interior region to heat a region of the belt. A first and a second heat conduction member are also within the interior region. The heater is between the first heat conduction member and the belt, and also between the second heat conduction member and the belt. The second heat conduction member has a recess facing the heater.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on a sheet;
- and
- a fixing device configured to heat the toner image on the sheet and including:
- a cylindrical belt having an outer surface configured to contact the sheet,
- a heater on an inner surface side of the cylindrical belt and having a width in a first direction and a length in a second direction, the heater being positioned to heat a region of the outer surface,
- a first heat conduction member, the heater being between the first heat conduction member and the region of the outer surface in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions,
- a support member configured to contact the cylindrical belt, and
- a second heat conduction member, the second heat conduction member being between the support member and the region of the outer surface in the third direction, wherein
- the support member supports the second heat conduction member,
- the second heat conduction member has a recess facing towards the heater in the third direction and extending in the second direction, and
- the recess extends for less than a full thickness of the second heat conduction member in the third direction.
8 more elements
A fixing device for fixing toner to a sheet, the fixing device comprising:
- a cylindrical belt having an outer surface configured to contact a sheet;
- a heater on an inner surface side of the cylindrical belt and having a width in a first direction and a length in a second direction, the heater being positioned to heat a region of the outer surface;
- a first heat conduction member, the heater being between the first heat conduction member and the region of the outer surface in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions;
- and
- a second heat conduction member, the heater being between the second heat conduction member and the region of the outer surface in the third direction, wherein
- the second heat conduction member has a first recess facing towards the heater in the third direction and extending in the second direction,
- the second heat conduction member has a second recess spaced from the first recess in the first direction, the second heat conduction member is thicker than the first heat conduction member in the third direction,
- the first recess in the second heat conduction member overlaps the heater when viewed from the third direction,
- the second recess in the second heat conduction member does not overlap the heater when viewed from the third direction, and
- the second heat conduction member comprises a metal.
7 more elements
A fixing device configured to heat a toner image on a sheet, the fixing device comprising:
- a cylindrical belt having an outer surface configured to contact the sheet;
- a heater on an inner surface side of the cylindrical belt and having a width in a first direction and a length in a second direction, the heater being positioned to heat a region of the outer surface;
- a first heat conduction member, the heater being between the first heat conduction member and the region of the outer surface in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions;
- a support member configured to contact the cylindrical belt;
- and
- a second heat conduction member, the second heat conduction member being between the support member and the region of the outer surface in the third direction, wherein
- the support member supports the second heat conduction member,
- the second heat conduction member has a recess facing towards the heater in the third direction and extending in the second direction, and
- the recess extends for less than a full thickness of the second heat conduction member in the third direction.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.