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US 9,804,544 B2Granted
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorOsamu Takagi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fixing device includes a roller, an endless belt, and a heat generating member disposed in a space inside the endless belt, extending in a width direction of the endless belt, and pressing the endless belt against the roller. A sheet is passed through a nip formed between the roller and a portion of the endless belt pressed by the heat generating member, such that an image on the sheet is fixed thereto. The heat generating member includes first and second heat generating portions that are adjacent to each other along the width direction and independently operable from each other. A boundary of the first and second heat generating portions extends in a direction inclined with respect to a sheet conveying direction.
Claims20
A fixing device, comprising:
- a roller;
- an endless belt having a portion facing the roller;
- and
- a heat generating member disposed such that the portion of the endless belt is between the heat generating member and the roller, the heat generating member extending in a width direction of the endless belt and pressing the portion of the endless belt against the roller such that a sheet can be passed in a sheet conveying direction through a nip formed between the roller and the portion of the endless belt and an image on the sheet can be fixed thereto, wherein
- the heat generating member includes first, second, and third heat generating portions that are separated from each other and arranged along the width direction, and the first heat generating portion is independently operable with respect to the second and third heat generating portions,
- the second and third heat generating portions are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first heat generating portion in the width direction, and
- a boundary between the first and second heat generating portions includes at least a portion extending in a direction that crosses the sheet conveying direction.
4 more elements
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
- and
- a fixing unit configured to fix the image to the sheet and including:
- a roller;
- an endless belt having a portion facing the roller;
- and
- a heat generating member disposed such that the portion of the endless belt is between the heat generating member and the roller, the heat generating member extending in a width direction of the endless belt and pressing the portion of the endless belt against the roller such that the sheet can be passed in a sheet conveying direction through a nip formed between the roller and the portion of the endless belt pressed by the heat generating member and an image on the sheet can be fixed thereto, wherein
- the heat generating member includes first, second, and third heat generating portions that are separated from each other along the width direction, and the first heat generating portion is independently operable with respect to the second and third heat generating portions,
- the second and third heat generating portions are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first heat generating portion in the width direction, and
- a boundary between the first and second heat generating portions includes at least a portion extending in a direction that crosses the sheet conveying direction.
7 more elements
A fixing device, comprising:
- a roller;
- an endless belt having a portion facing the roller;
- and
- a heat generating member disposed such that the portion of the endless belt is between the heat generating member and the roller, the heat generating member extending in a width direction of the endless belt and pressing the portion of the endless belt against the roller such that a sheet can be passed in a sheet conveying direction through a nip formed between the roller and the portion of the endless belt and an image on the sheet can be fixed thereto, wherein
- the heat generating member includes first, second, and third heat generating portions that are adjacent to each other in the width direction, and the first heat generating portion is independently operable with respect to the second and third heat generating portions, and
- the second and third heat generating portions are arranged symmetrically with respect to the first heat generating portion in the width direction, and
- a boundary between the first and second heat generating portions includes a first boundary portion that extends along the sheet conveying direction and a second boundary portion that extends along the width direction or a direction inclined with respect to the sheet conveying direction.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.