Fixing device and image forming apparatus including the same
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsYasuhisa Katoh, Kenji Ishii
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In accordance with the present invention, in an image forming apparatus including a fixing device for fixing a toner image on a sheet with heat at a nip between a fixing member accommodating a heat source and a pressing member not accommodating it, consecutive sheets are driven out of the fixing device at a variable interval without the number of sheets to be output within a preselected period of time being varied.
Claims49
In an image forming apparatus comprising a fixing device configured to fix a toner image on a sheet with heat at a nip between a fixing member accommodating a heat source and a pressing member not accommodating a heat source, consecutive sheets are driven out of said fixing device at a variable interval without a number of sheets to be output within a preselected period of time being varied.
In an image forming apparatus comprising a fixing device configured to fix a toner image on a sheet with heat at a nip between a fixing member accommodating a heat source and a pressing member not accommodating a heat source, when said nip coincides with an interval between a trailing edge of a preceding sheet and a leading edge of a following sheet, drive of said fixing member is temporarily stopped for a variable interval without varying a number of sheets to be output within a preselected period of time.
The apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the duration of the temporary stop of the drive is made shorter at a second stop and successive stops than at a first stop, which occurs just after the start of sheet feed, as the pressing member is heated by said fixing member.
In a fixing device for fixing a toner image on a sheet with heat at a nip between a fixing member being heated and a pressing member not being heated, said fixing member comprises a heat roller accommodating a heat source and a tube and an insulating layer covering an outer periphery of said tube, and
- said pressing member comprises a press roller,
- wherein the heat source comprises a heater configured to selectively generate heat at a center portion and end portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.