US 9,541,870 B2Granted

Fixing device

AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsYasushi Fujiwara, Noboru Suzuki, Kei Ishida, Yoshihiro Miyauchi, Tomohiro Kondo

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A fixing device includes a tubular fusing film, a heater, a nip member, a backup member, a backup member, first supporting member, and a second supporting member. The heater may be disposed inside the tubular shape of the fusing film. The nip member may be disposed so as to be in sliding contact with the inner surface of the fusing film and heated by the heater. The backup member may form a nip portion between the backup member and the fusing film with the fusing film between the backup member and the nip member. The first supporting member may be configured to integrally support the heater and the nip member. The second supporting member may be configured to movably support the first supporting member so that the nip member moves relative to the backup member.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A fixing device comprising:

an endless member;
a heater extending inside the endless member, the heater being elongated in a longitudinal direction and having an end portion in the longitudinal direction;
a nip member extending inside the endless member;
a backup member, the backup member and the nip member being configured to nip the endless member therebetween to form a nip portion between the endless member and the backup member, the backup member having an end portion in the longitudinal direction, wherein the backup member and the endless member are configured to convey a sheet in a conveying direction at the nip portion;
a reflector configured to reflect radiant heat from the heater, the reflector extending inside the endless member;
a stay extending inside the endless member, having an end portion in the longitudinal direction, and supporting the reflector and the nip member;
a first supporting member having a supporting portion supporting the end portion of the heater and a holding portion holding the end portion of the stay, the holding portion having:
a first surface;
and
a second surface spaced apart from the first surface in the sheet conveying direction, the end portion of the stay being disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
and
a second supporting member supporting the first supporting member, the second supporting member having a groove in which a portion of the backup member is disposed.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/865,790Filed 25 Sep 2015 · continuation
Priority: JP 2009-29713028 Dec 2009
Published: US 2016/0085190 A124 Mar 2016
Granted: 10 Jan 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G03G 15/2053
Using contact heat: structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating
G03G 15/2032
Structural details of the fixing unit in general, e.g. cooling means, heat shielding means: retractable heating or pressure unit
G03G 15/206
Using contact heat: structural details or chemical composition of the pressure elements and layers thereof
G03G 15/2064
Using contact heat: combined with pressure

Family

Application12/980,081Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Dec 2010
Application14/285,993Parent of this continuation · filed 23 May 2014
US 8,737,893 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 27 May 2014
US 2016/0085190 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Mar 2016
US 9,146,510 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0170920 A1Published application
US 2014/0341628 A1Published application
US 9,541,870 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.