Fixing apparatus having a releasant removal means

A fixing device comprising:

• a fixing roller and a pressure roller disposed relative to one another for fixing toner to a sheet moving in a sheet feed direction;
• releasant applicator means for applying a releasant material to at least one of either the fixing roller or the pressure roller;
• and
• a releasant removing means including a plurality of pairs of rollers successively disposed in the sheet feed direction for redistributing releasant on the sheet and each successive sheet,
• wherein the plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers are alternatively displaced with axes perpendicular to the sheet feed direction.

An image recording device having a fixing device wherein toner is fixed to a sheet which moves through the fixing device at a predetermined sheet velocity in a sheet feed direction, comprising:

• a developing unit for depositing toners from a plurality of colors onto the sheet in a superimposing manner;
• a fixing roller and a pressure roller disposed relative to one another for fixing toner onto the sheet passing therebetween;
• a releasant applicator means for applying releasant material to either the fixing roller or the pressure roller;
• and
• releasant removing means including a pair of opposing moving surfaces for moving the sheet in the sheet feed direction, and
• at least one of the opposing moving surface being an elastomeric surface for redistributing the releasant material on the sheet and each successive sheet.

A fixing device wherein toner is fixed to a sheet which moves through the fixing device at a predetermined sheet velocity in a sheet feed direction, comprising:

• a fixing roller and a pressure roller disposed relative to one another for fixing toner onto the sheet passed therebetween at the sheet velocity;
• a releasant applicator means for applying releasant material to one of either the fixing roller or the pressure roller;
• releasant removing means having a plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers for rotation with respect to each other, each pair being disposed relative to one another in a sheet feed direction for moving the sheet therebetween, and at least one of the rollers of each of the plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers having an elastomeric surface for removing the releasant material;
• wherein the plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers are alternatively displaced in a direction at right angles with the sheet feed direction;
• and
• wherein the fixing device is operable to receive sheets having a width range between a maximum width and a minimum width, and one of the plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers has a length less than the maximum sheet width but greater than the minimum sheet width.

A fixing device wherein toner is fixed to a sheet which moves through the fixing device at a predetermined sheet velocity in a sheet feed direction, comprising:

• a fixing roller and a pressure roller disposed relative to one another for fixing toner onto the sheet passed therebetween at the sheet velocity;
• a releasant applicator means for applying releasant material to one of either the fixing roller or the pressure roller;
• releasant removing means having a plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers for rotation with respect to each other, each pair being disposed relative to one another in a sheet feed direction for moving the sheet therebetween, and at least one of the rollers of each of the plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers having an elastomeric surface for removing the releasant material;
• wherein the plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers are alternatively displaced in a direction at right angles with the sheet feed direction;
• and
• wherein one pair of releasant removing rollers is disposed such that one lateral edge coincides or overlaps slightly with that of the other pair of releasant removing rollers in the direction at right angles with the sheet feed direction.

A fixing device wherein toner is fixed to a sheet which moves through the fixing device at a predetermined sheet velocity in a sheet feed direction, comprising:

• a fixing roller and a pressure roller disposed relative to one another for fixing toner onto the sheet passed therebetween at the sheet velocity;
• a releasant applicator means for applying releasant material to one of either the fixing roller or the pressure roller;
• releasant removing means having a plurality of pairs of opposing moving surfaces successively disposed in the sheet feed direction for moving the sheet therebetween, and at least one of the opposing moving surfaces of each of the plurality of pairs of opposing moving surfaces having an elastomeric surface for removing the releasant material;
• and
• wherein a reference line is defined by a lateral edge of one of the plurality of pairs of opposing moving surfaces, and a lateral edge of another pair of opposing moving surfaces extends substantially along the reference line.

A fixing device comprising:

• a fixing roller and a pressure roller disposed relative to one another for fixing toner to a sheet moving in a sheet feed direction;
• releasant applicator means for applying a releasant material to at least one of either the fixing roller or the pressure roller;
• a releasant removing means including a plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers successively disposed in the sheet feed direction for removing releasant from the sheet;
• wherein the plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers are alternatively displaced with axes perpendicular to the sheet feed direction;
• and
• wherein the fixing device is operable to receive sheets having a width range between a maximum width and a minimum width, and one of the plurality of pairs of rollers has a length less than the maximum sheet width but greater than the minimum sheet width.

A fixing device comprising:

• a fixing roller and a pressure roller disposed relative to one another for fixing toner to a sheet moving in a sheet feed direction;
• releasant applicator means for applying a releasant material to at least one of either the fixing roller or the pressure roller:
• a releasant removing means including a plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers successively disposed in the sheet feed direction for removing releasant from the sheet;
• wherein the plurality of pairs of releasant removing rollers are alternatively displaced with axes perpendicular to the sheet feed direction;
• and
• wherein one pair of releasant removing rollers is disposed such that one lateral edge at least coincides or overlaps slightly with that of the other pair of releasant removing rollers in a direction at right angles to the sheet feed direction.