Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Fuji Zerox Co., Ltd.

Fumio Daishi

Yoshio Kanesawa

Michiaki Yasuno

Sadao Okano

Makoto Omata

Kiyotaka Ishikawa

Motoi Noya

Kazuhisa Masuko

Shinichi Utsumi

Hideaki Seikiguchi

Yasuo Sakaguchi

Kenji Omori

Noboru Endo

Koichi Matsumoto

Tomotake Inagaki

Hideaki Ohara

Kenta Yamakoshi

Satoshi Mizoguchi

Tomoo Matsushima

An image-forming-apparatus sliding member includes a woven base and a cover layer disposed on at least one surface of the woven base. The average height of projections and depressions on a sliding surface is greater than or equal to 40 &#x3bc;m and smaller than or equal to 90 &#x3bc;m, and an average distance between the projections and the depressions is greater than or equal to 700 &#x3bc;m and smaller than or equal to 1600 &#x3bc;m.

Image-forming-apparatus sliding member, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

A tubular body for an image forming apparatus is formed by subjecting a tubular member containing a thermoplastic resin to thermal processing. The thermal processing is performed so that at least one edge of the tubular member is thermally melted and then cured in at least a portion of the edge in a peripheral direction.

Tubular body, tubular body unit, and intermediate transfer body for image forming apparatus, image forming apparatus, and method for manufacturing tubular body

A surface treatment device includes a belt member having a surface layer in which plural kinds of rubbers having a different hardness mixedly exist. In the device, a press/heat unit presses a recording medium with a toner image formed against the belt member such that the toner image contacts with the surface layer, and heats the recording medium to melt at least a surface of the toner image.

Surface treatment device, image forming apparatus, belt member, and image forming method

The invention provides a fixing method including conveying a recording medium on which a toner image has been formed using a fixing belt, in a state in which the fixing belt contacts with a surface of the recording medium on which the toner image is formed, at least from a fixing portion in which the toner image is fixed by heating and pressing the recording medium to a cooling portion in which the recording medium after fixing is cooled, wherein the ten-point average roughness (Rz) of a surface of the fixing belt contacting with the recording medium is 0.7 &#x3bc;m or less or the filtered maximum waviness in every convex portion present on a surface of the fixing belt contacting with the recording medium is 50 &#x3bc;m or less. The invention also provides a fixing apparatus using the method and an image forming apparatus using the method.

Fixing method, fixing apparatus using the same, and image forming apparatus

In a fuser, a cooling structure ( ) is disposed so that a bend angle (&agr;) of a part bent during the time between an endless belt ( ) coming in contact with a press cooling face ( ) of the cooling structure ( ) and exiting from the press cooling face ( ) is placed in the range of 0&deg; C.<&agr;&lE;7&deg; C. A fixing belt has a minute hardness of 0.1 to 5 at least on the belt surface coming in contact with toner T and preferably has a gloss degree of 75 or more on the belt surface.

Fixing belt and fuser

In a fuser, a cooling structure ( ) is disposed so that a bend angle (&agr;) of apart bent during the time between an endless belt ( ) coming in contact with a press cooling face ( ) of the cooling structure ( ) and exiting from the press cooling face ( ) is placed in the range of 0&deg; C.<&agr;&lE;7&deg; C. A fixing belt has a minute hardness of 0.1 to 5 at least on the belt surface coming in contact with toner T and preferably has a gloss degree of 75 or more on the belt surface.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Fumio Daishi