Sliding sheet for fixing devices, manufacturing method for same, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

A manufacturing method for a sliding sheet for fixing devices, the sliding sheet being inserted in between an endless belt constituting one member out of two members which form a nip section for fixing operation and a pressure member for pressing the endless belt from an inner surface side toward the other member out of the two members,

• the sliding sheet comprising a single resin, and repeatedly having a thick section and a thin section at least with respect to a sliding direction of the endless belt due to substantial difference in resin amount per unit area corresponding to positions on a sheet surface,
• the manufacturing method comprising:
• preparing a support base having, on a support face for supporting a polishing object, a plurality of projections respectively placed corresponding to the thin sections of the sliding sheet to be manufactured;
• attaching a sheet material, which is made of a single resin having a fixed thickness, to the support face of the support base so as to be mounted on a plurality of the projections;
• and
• forming the thin section by slidably moving a polishing pad which is placed in contact with the sheet material from an opposite side to the support base so that the resin in regions corresponding to the respective projections on a surface of the sheet material which is in contact with the polishing pad is removed in an amount relatively larger than that of the resin in other remaining regions.

A fixing device comprising:

• two members which form a nip section for allowing a recording material on which an image should be fixed to pass through, one member out of the two members being an endless belt;
• a pressure member for pressing the endless belt from an inner surface side toward the other member out of the two members;
• and
• a sliding sheet inserted in between the endless belt and the pressure member, wherein
• the sliding sheet comprises a single resin, and repeatedly has a thick section and a thin section at least with respect to a sliding direction of the endless belt due to substantial difference in resin amount per unit area corresponding to positions on a sheet surface.

An image forming apparatus comprising a fixing device, wherein

• the fixing device comprises:
• two members which form a nip section for allowing a recording material on which an image should be fixed to pass through, one member out of the two members being an endless belt;
• a pressure member for pressing the endless belt from an inner surface side toward the other member out of the two members;
• and
• a sliding sheet inserted in between the endless belt and the pressure member, and wherein
• the sliding sheet comprise a single resin, and repeatedly has a thick section and a thin section at least with respect to a sliding direction of the endless belt due to substantial difference in resin amount per unit area corresponding to positions within a sheet surface.