Fixing device including a guide having a roughened face and image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorJun Okamoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixing device includes a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation and a pressure rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed. A guide is disposed upstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction to guide the recording medium to the fixing nip. The guide includes a projection extending in the recording medium conveyance direction, a contact face to come into contact with the recording medium, and a roughened face disposed on at least a part of the contact face.
Claims24
A fixing device comprising:
- a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation;
- a pressure rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, the fixing nip through which a recording medium bearing a toner image is conveyed;
- and
- a guide, disposed upstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction, to guide the recording medium to the fixing nip,
- the guide including:
- a projection extending in the recording medium conveyance direction;
- a contact face to come into contact with the recording medium;
- and
- a roughened face disposed on at least a part of the contact face.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image forming device to form a toner image;
- and
- a fixing device, disposed downstream from the image forming device in a recording medium conveyance direction, to fix the toner image on a recording medium,
- the fixing device including:
- a fixing rotator rotatable in a predetermined direction of rotation;
- a pressure rotator to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, the fixing nip through which the recording medium bearing the toner image is conveyed;
- and
- a guide, disposed upstream from the fixing nip in the recording medium conveyance direction, to guide the recording medium to the fixing nip,
- the guide including:
- a projection extending in the recording medium conveyance direction;
- a contact face to come into contact with the recording medium;
- and
- a roughened face disposed on at least a part of the contact face.
A fixing device comprising:
- a fixing rotator;
- a pressure rotator configured to press against the fixing rotator to form a fixing nip between the fixing rotator and the pressure rotator, the fixing nip being configured to convey a recording medium bearing a toner image therethrough;
- and
- a guide, upstream from the fixing nip in a recording medium conveyance direction, configured to guide the recording medium to the fixing nip,
- the guide including:
- at least one rib-shaped projection extending in a recording medium conveyance direction;
- a slit-shaped groove on the at least one rib-shaped projection and extending in the recording medium conveyance direction;
- and
- a contact face in contact with the recording medium.
A guide configured to guide a recording medium in a fixing device, the guide comprising:
- at least one rib-shaped projection extending in a recording medium conveyance direction;
- a slit-shaped groove on the at least one rib-shaped projection and extending in the recording medium conveyance direction;
- and
- a contact face configured to contact the recording medium;
- the slit-shaped groove having a surface roughness equal to or greater than about 1.0 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.