Thermal fixing device and image forming apparatus
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYoshiya Tomatsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There are provided a thermal fixing device in which a large expensive mechanism is not needed, and a peeling member can be separated from a fixing member by a simple structure to the extent possible during a fixing operation except when the need arises, and an image forming apparatus including the thermal fixing device. A contact portion coming in contact with a sheet peeled off from a heat roller and for separating a tip portion from a surface of the heat roller is integrally provided to a peeling pawl for peeling the sheet having passed through between the heat roller and respective pressure rollers.
Claims33
A thermal fixing device comprising:
- a fixing member disposed to be in contact with a fixation medium;
- a pressuring member disposed to face the fixing member and configured to press the fixation medium against the fixing member;
- a conveying unit configured to convey the fixation medium that has passed through between the fixing member and the pressuring member;
- a peeling member configured to be in contact with the fixing member;
- a separating member configured to separate the peeling member from the fixing member in a state where the separating member is in contact with the fixation medium that has passed through between the fixing member and the pressuring member;
- and
- a conveying path provided between the fixing member and the conveying unit, and a space existing between the peeling member and the fixing member when the fixation medium is being conveyed along the conveying path.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a sheet feeding section configured to feed a sheet;
- and
- an image forming section configured to form an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding section,
- wherein the image forming section includes a thermal fixing device comprising:
- a fixing member disposed to be in contact with the sheet;
- a pressuring member disposed to face the fixing member and configured to press the sheet against the fixing member;
- a conveying unit configured to convey the sheet that has passed through between the fixing member and the pressuring member;
- a peeling member configured to be in contact with the fixing member;
- and
- a separating member configured to separate the peeling member from the fixing member in a state where the separating member is in contact with the sheet that has passed through between the fixing member and the pressuring member;
- and
- a conveying path provided between the fixing member and the conveying unit, and a space existing between the peeling member and the fixing member when the sheet is being conveyed along the conveying path.
A thermal fixing device comprising:
- a fixing member disposed to be in contact with a fixation medium;
- a pressuring member disposed to face the fixing member and configured to press the fixation medium against the fixing member;
- a conveying unit configured to convey the fixation medium that has passed through between the fixing member and the pressuring member;
- a peeling member configured to be in contact with the fixing member;
- and
- a separating member that protrudes into a conveying path when the peeling member is in contact with the fixing member,
- the fixation medium pushing the separating member away from the conveying path and separating the peeling member from the fixing member when the fixation medium is in contact with the separating member, the fixing member and the conveying unit, and the fixation medium is at least one of substantially extended or completely extended along the conveying path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.