Fixing-unit roller, fixing unit, and image forming apparatus including an elastic layer
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsKatsunori Suto, Norihiko Aze, Takeshi Endoh, Masayuki Kami, Toru Kobayashi, Kohta Shiodera
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Abstract
A fixing-unit roller includes: a core bar; and an elastic layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the core bar. The elastic layer is formed from a porous material that contains a plurality of cells. Cells in a cross section obtained by cutting across the porous material are 0.1 μm or greater and 50 μm or less in size. A ratio of an area occupied by composite cells, which are made of partially-overlapping spherical cells, in a 200-μm square in the cross section to an area of the square is 60% or greater and 70% or less.
Claims7
A fixing-unit roller comprising:
- a core bar;
- and
- an elastic layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the core bar, the elastic layer being formed from a porous material that contains a plurality of cells, wherein
- cells in a cross section obtained by cutting the porous material are 0.1 μm or greater and 50 μm or less in size, and
- a ratio of an area occupied by composite cells in a 200-μm square in the cross section to an area of the square is 60% or greater and 70% or less, the composite cells being made of partially-overlapping spherical cells.
A fixing unit comprising a fixing-unit roller, the fixing-unit roller comprising:
- a core bar;
- and
- an elastic layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the core bar, the elastic layer being formed from a porous material that contains a plurality of cells, wherein
- cells in a cross section obtained by cutting the porous material are 0.1 μm or greater and 50 μm or less in size, and
- a ratio of an area occupied by composite cells in a 200-μm square in the cross section to an area of the square is 60% or greater and 70% or less, the composite cells being made of partially-overlapping spherical cells.
An image forming apparatus comprising a fixing unit comprising a fixing-unit roller, the fixing-unit roller comprising:
- a core bar;
- and
- an elastic layer formed on an outer peripheral surface of the core bar, the elastic layer being formed from a porous material that contains a plurality of cells, wherein
- cells in a cross section obtained by cutting the porous material are 0.1 μm or greater and 50 μm or less in size, and
- a ratio of an area occupied by composite cells in a 200-μm square in the cross section to an area of the square is 60% or greater and 70% or less, the composite cells being made of partially-overlapping spherical cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.