Fixing device and image forming apparatus including same
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsAtsushi Tanaka, Shinji Yamana
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a fixing device including: a fixing belt provided across a fuser roller and a heating member in a tensioned state, which fixing belt is rotated; and a tension roller applying a load on the fixing belt from an inner circumferential side of the fixing belt, which tension roller is determined in position on the fixing belt so that a length of the fixing belt upstream of the fixing nip area in a fixing belt rotating direction, from the tension roller to the fixing member, is longer than that downstream of the fixing nip area in the fixing belt rotating direction, from the fixing member to the tension roller.
Claims9
A fixing device comprising:
- a rotatable fixing member;
- a heating member;
- an endless fixing belt, provided across the fixing member and the heating member in a tensioned state, the fixing belt (i) being rotated and (ii) being heated by the heating member;
- a pressure member being pressed against the fixing member while having the fixing belt be sandwiched between the pressure member and the fixing member, to form a fixing nip area at this pressured region together with the fixing belt, the fixing device fixing onto a recording material that passes through the fixing nip area an unfixed image formed on the recording material;
- and
- a tension roller applying a load on the fixing belt from an inner circumferential side of the fixing belt,
- the tension roller being determined in position on the fixing belt so that a length of the fixing belt upstream of the fixing nip area in a fixing belt rotating direction, from the tension roller to the fixing member, is longer than that downstream of the fixing nip area in the fixing belt rotating direction, from the fixing member to the tension roller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.