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US 6,151,466 AGranted
Fixing device including vented chamber-like area
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorHidehiko Fujiwara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixing device includes a fixing member that fixes a toner image to a recording sheet by heat, a cover to accommodate the fixing member, at least one partition member provided inside the cover so as to form a gap between the partition member and an internal circumferential surface of the cover, and an opening formed at a part of the cover above the gap.
Claims9
A fixing device to fix a toner image to a recording sheet, comprising:
- a fixing member that fixes the toner image to the recording sheet by heat;
- a cover to accommodate the fixing member;
- at least one partition member provided inside the cover to provide a gap which forms a chamber-like area between the at least one partition member and an internal circumferential surface of the cover;
- and
- at least one opening formed at a part of the cover above the gap within the chamber-like area.
2 more elements
A fixing device to fix a toner image to a recording sheet, comprising:
- means for fixing the toner image to the recording sheet by heat;
- means for accommodating the fixing means;
- means for partitioning the accommodating means to provide a gap which forms a chamber-like area between the partitioning means and an internal circumferential surface of the accommodating means;
- and
- means for allowing air to pass through, formed at a part of the accommodating means above the gap within the chamber-like area.
2 more elements
A method of fixing a toner image to a recording sheet, comprising steps of:
- providing a fixing member for fixing the toner image to the recording sheet by heat, a cover accommodating the fixing member, and a partition member provided inside the cover to provide a gap which forms a chamber-like area between the partition member and an internal circumferential surface of the cover;
- and
- operating a fan to withdraw hot air from within the cover through an opening formed at a part of the cover above the gap within the chamber-like area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.