# US 2014/0193181 A1 · Fixing device and image forming apparatus including same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193181 A1 - Document ID: US20140193181A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/141,894 - Filed: 2013-12-27 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09 - Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hirokazu Nakamura; Kousuke Namisaki; Motoki Ohta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193181A1 ## CPC - G03G 15/2025: {with special means for lubricating and/or cleaning the fixing unit, e.g. applying offset preventing fluid} - G03G 15/2032: {Retractable heating or pressure unit} - G03G 15/2035: {for maintenance purposes, e.g. for removing a jammed sheet} - G03G 2215/2032: the belt further entrained around additional rotating belt support members - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A fixing device in accordance with the present invention comprises: a rotary member for transporting printing paper; a pressure member for press-contacting the rotary member to apply pressure onto the printing paper; and a cleaning member capable of freely moving into contact with, or away from, a peripheral surface of the rotary member and/or a peripheral surface of the pressure member. A toner image formed on the printing paper is fixed while the printing paper is being held between the rotary member and the pressure member. The fixing device further comprises a contact and separation unit for moving the pressure member into contact with, or away from, the rotary member. The cleaning member moves into contact with, or away from, the peripheral surface of the rotary member and/or the peripheral surface of the pressure member in conjunction with the contact and separation unit moving the pressure member into contact with, or away from, the rotary member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fixing device, comprising: a rotary member for transporting printing paper; a pressure member for press-contacting the rotary member to apply pressure onto the printing paper; and at least one cleaning member capable of freely moving into contact with, or away from, a peripheral surface of the rotary member and/or a peripheral surface of the pressure member, wherein a toner image formed on the printing paper is fixed while the printing paper is being held between the rotary member and the pressure member, said fixing device further comprising a contact and separation unit for moving the pressure member into contact with, or away from, the rotary member, wherein the cleaning member moves into contact with, or away from, the peripheral surface of the rotary member and/or the peripheral surface of the pressure member in conjunction with the contact and separation unit moving the pressure member into contact with, or away from, the rotary member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fixing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is capable of freely moving into contact with, or away from, the peripheral surface of the rotary member and moves into contact with, or away from, the rotary member in conjunction with the contact and separation unit moving the pressure member into contact with, or away from, the rotary member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The fixing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the cleaning member moves away from the rotary member in conjunction with the contact and separation unit press-contacting the pressure member and moves into contact with the rotary member in conjunction with the contact and separation unit separating from the pressure member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The fixing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein: the contact and separation unit has a contact and separation shaft that can be pivoted to move the pressure member into contact with, or away from, the rotary member; and the cleaning member is supported by a contact and separation interlocking section connected to the contact and separation shaft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fixing device as set forth in claim 4, wherein: the contact and separation interlocking section includes a first coupling section pivoting around the contact and separation shaft and a second coupling section pulled by the first coupling section; the first coupling section is secured at an end thereof to the contact and separation shaft and coupled at the other end to an end of the second coupling section; the second coupling section supports at the other end thereof a rotational shaft of the cleaning member; and the cleaning member is regulated in terms of range of motion in which the cleaning member moves into contact with, or away from, the rotary member. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The fixing device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising: a press roller for pressing the cleaning member; and a roller biasing member for biasing the press roller in a bias direction intersecting with contact and separation directions in which the cleaning member moves into contact with, or away from, the rotary member, wherein: the cleaning member is supported to reciprocate freely in the contact and separation directions; and the press roller biases the cleaning member, separated from the rotary member, in one of the contact and separation directions in which the cleaning member moves away from the rotary member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fixing device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the press roller biases the cleaning member, being in contact with the rotary member, in the other one of the contact and separation directions in which the cleaning member moves into contact with the rotary member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The fixing device as set forth in claim 6, further comprising a cleaning web stretched by an unwinding roller and a winding roller, wherein the press roller presses the cleaning member via the cleaning web. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The fixing device as set forth in claim 6, wherein when the cleaning member is located with a center thereof closer to the rotary member than to a base line in the contact and separation directions, the press roller biases the cleaning member in the other one of the contact and separation directions in which the cleaning member moves into contact with the rotary member, and when the cleaning member is located with the center thereof farther from the rotary member than from the base line in the contact and separation directions, the press roller biases the cleaning member in the one of the contact and separation directions in which the cleaning member moves away from the rotary member, the base line being a straight line parallel to the bias direction and running through a center of the press roller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fixing device as set forth in claim 9, wherein: the cleaning member moves between a cleaning position where the cleaning member is in contact with the rotary member and a standby position where the cleaning member is separated from the rotary member; the cleaning position is closer to the rotary member than to the base line in the contact and separation directions; and the standby position is farther from the rotary member than from the base line in the contact and separation directions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The fixing device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the cleaning member has a rotational shaft supported, with play, by a shaft support section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The fixing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is capable of freely moving into contact with, or away from, the peripheral surface of the pressure member, and moves into contact with the pressure member in conjunction with the contact and separation unit press-contacting the pressure member and moves away from the pressure member in conjunction with the contact and separation unit separating from the pressure member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The fixing device as set forth in claim 12, wherein the contact and separation unit has a contact and separation shaft that can be pivoted to move the pressure member into contact with, or away from, the rotary member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The fixing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: a cleaning web stretched by an unwinding roller and a winding roller; and a press roller for pressing the cleaning member via the cleaning web. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The fixing device as set forth in claim 14, wherein either one of the unwinding roller and the winding roller is disposed substantially interposed between external common tangents of the other one of the unwinding roller and the winding roller and the press roller. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The fixing device as set forth in claim 15, wherein the cleaning web is stretched substantially parallel to a transport direction of the printing paper. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The fixing device as set forth in claim 15, wherein: the rotary member and/or the pressure member have a planar region that forms a plane in a part of the peripheral surface(s) thereof; and the cleaning web is stretched substantially parallel to the planar region. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The fixing device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the cleaning member is a roller with an oil storage layer for storing oil. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The fixing device as set forth in claim 18, wherein: the rotary member is a fixing belt stretched by a plurality of rollers; and the cleaning member contacts a non-roller-contact region that forms a part of a peripheral surface of the fixing belt stretched by the plurality of rollers. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus, comprising the fixing device as set forth in claim 1.