Apparatus capable of applying a high fixing-nip pressure which is easily released when a recording sheet is stuck in a fixing mechanism
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorAkira Shinshi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming system includes an image forming mechanism and a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism includes first and second fixing members configured to face each other to hold recording materials, a lock member, a pressuring lever, a pressure release lever and an elastic member. The pressure release lever turns between a lock position for a regular operation mode and a release position. The elastic member pulls the lock member capturing the pressuring lever to apply pressure to the first and second fixing members at the far end from the instantaneous center of the pressuring lever at the lock position.
Claims9
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an image forming mechanism;
- and
- a fixing mechanism configured to fix an image on a recording material, and comprising:
- first and second fixing members configured to face each other to hold the recording material;
- a lock member configured to have first and second end portions and a locking portion located between the first and the second end portions;
- a pressuring lever configured to have one end pivotably held;
- a pressure release lever having a first portion at one end turnably holding the lock member and a second portion turnably holding the pressuring lever at another end of the pressuring lever and configured to turn between a lock position and a release position so that the first portion is located between the second portion and the locking portion of the lock member when the pressure release lever is at the release position and the second portion is located at the locking portion of the lock member when the pressure release lever is at the lock position;
- and
- an elastic member configured to pull the lock member capturing the second portion of the pressure release lever in a direction from the first fixing member to the second fixing member at the lock position.
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an image forming mechanism;
- and
- a fixing mechanism comprising:
- first and second fixing members configured to hold a recording material;
- a pressuring member having one end pivotably held and configured to apply pressure to the first fixing member;
- a pressure release lever configured to release the pressure by turning from a lock position where the pressure is applied to the second fixing member via the first fixing member to a release position where the pressure is released;
- a lock member configured to capture the pressuring member at another end of the pressuring member at the lock position;
- and
- an elastic member configured to pull the lock member capturing the pressuring member in a direction from the first fixing member to the second fixing member at the lock position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.