Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Masafumi Maeda

Atsushi Iwasaki

Toru Imaizumi

Takashi Narahara

Tomoya Tateishi

Yasuhito Minamishima

Atsutoshi Ando

Masaki Tanaka

Takeo Kawanami

Akira Yoshimura

Tomoyuki Makihira

Osamu Sasaoka

Akira Kato

Shinji Katagiri

Hiroaki Sakai

Noriyuki Ito

Yusuke Nakashima

Takateru Ohkubo

Taro Minobe

Taro Ishifune

Kenichi Tagami

Seietsu Miura

Hiroshi Goto

Yutaka Sato

Toshiyuki Watanabe

Satoshi Nishida

Hideo Nanataki

Tomoo Akizuki

Takanori Mitani

Fumito Nonaka

Takeshi Shinji

Kohei Okayasu

Tatsuya Kinukawa

Sho Taguchi

Hiroshi Takami

Akinori Yokota

Shogo Kan

Masahide Tanoue

Yuki Oshima

Yoshiyuki Miyazaki

Masanori Maeda

Yoshihisa Ibaraki

Nobuya Tamura

A fixing apparatus includes a first rotary member, a nip forming member, a second rotary member, a heating element, a temperature detection element, a holder configured to hold the temperature detection element, and an urging member configured to urge the holder toward the nip forming member to bring the holder into contact with the nip forming member. The holder includes a base member configured to receive an urging force from the urging member, and a head member to which the temperature detection element is attached, the head member being configured to be in contact with the base member and tiltable with respect to the base member. The head member is configured to be urged toward the nip forming member by the urging force and to tilt following a portion of the nip forming member opposing the head member.

Temperature detection apparatus having a base member that moves in a thickness direction of a heater, fixing apparatus, and image forming apparatus

A fixing apparatus includes a heater including a heating member, a heater holder configured to hold the heater, a detection element configured to detect a temperature of the heater and disposed at a position that faces the heater in a third direction, a first holding member configured to hold the detection element, an urging member configured to urge the first holding member, a flexible member extending in the first direction and configured to support the first holding member on a first end portion of the flexible member in the first direction, and a second holding member configured to hold a second end portion of the flexible member in the first direction. The flexible member is flexible such that the first holding member and the second holding member are movable relative to each other in the third direction.

Temperature detection device, fixing apparatus, and image forming apparatus

A heater includes: a substrate; an insulating layer that is provided on the substrate; and a heat generating element that is provided on the insulating layer, and in a case where a region including a center of the substrate is defined as a first region, a region on a side closer to one end portion than the first region is defined as a second region, and a region on a side closer to the other end portion than the first region is defined as a third region in a transverse direction that is orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of a surface of the substrate on which the insulating layer is provided, the first region is a plane, and the second region and the third region are bent from the first region in a thickness direction of the substrate that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction.

Heater, heating device, and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a drive source, an object configured to be driven by the drive source, and a drive transmission mechanism including a driving member, a driven member, an intermediate member, an urging member, and an actuating portion. The intermediate member is configured to move in an axial direction. The intermediate member includes a shaft portion extending in the axial direction, and a positioning portion configured to determine a position of the driven member in a direction orthogonal to the axis. The shaft portion includes a receiving portion configured to receive a force. The receiving portion is positioned inward of the positioning portion in a radial direction of rotation of the intermediate member.

Image forming apparatus

A fixing device includes a cylindrical film, a support member disposed on an inner peripheral surface of the film, a heating member supported by the support member and provided slidably with the film, and a pressing member that forms a pressure contact portion together with the heating member through the film. The fixing device heats a recording medium while pressing the recording medium at the pressure contact portion. A first thermally conductive member and a second thermally conductive member are provided between the heating member and the support member. The first and second thermally conductive members having thermal conductivity higher than that of the support member are configured to engage with each other.

Fixing device

There is provided a fixing device, in which an operation delay of a safety element is unlikely to occur even if a heater tilts. The fixing device includes a spacer disposed between the heater and the safety element, wherein an area of the spacer in contact with the safety element is smaller than an area of the spacer in contact with the heater, and the spacer is tiltable relative to the safety element.

Fixing device with tiltable spacer between heater and safety

A fixing device includes a frame, a film, a component portion engaging with the frame, and a roller that forms a nip with the film. The component portion includes a supporting portion provided inside the film, and including a first opposing surface opposing an inner surface of the film, and a second opposing surface opposing the inner surface of the film. Each of the first opposing surface and the second opposing surface is a surface forming a substantially right angle with an engaging surface, which is a surface on which the component portion engages with the frame and on which the component portion opposes a flat surface portion of the frame. When the component portion is seen in the longitudinal direction of the film, a contour of the first opposing surface is greater than a contour of the second opposing surface.

Fixing device having a supporting portion that includes first and second opposing surfaces that oppose an inner surface of a film and engaging surfaces that engage with a frame

A fixing apparatus including a rotary member in which a generatrix direction thereof is substantially parallel to a generatrix direction of a film, the rotary member being provided between the film and a cover member such that a gap is formed between the film and the rotary member.

Fixing device including rotary member to suppress vaporized component escape

A fixing device includes a cylindrical film, a planar heater, a heat conduction member, a supporting member, a limiting member for limiting heater end portions with respect to a generatrix direction of the film so as to prevent the end portions from moving in a heater thickness direction relative to the supporting member, and a pressing member. A fixing device state is switchable between a first state in which a press-contact force in the nip is enough to fix the toner image and a second state in which the press-contact force in the nip is smaller than the press-contact force in the first state. A surface where the supporting member opposes the heat conduction member has a shape such that with respect to the generatrix direction, a central portion of the film is projected toward the pressing member to a greater extent than an end portion of the film.

A fixing apparatus includes a first unit which contacts a surface of a fixing roller to heat the fixing roller, and a second unit which forms a fixing nip portion together with the fixing roller. A first opposing portion is provided between a shaft of the fixing roller and the first unit, such that a distance between the first opposing portion and the first unit when a pressure during a fixing processing for an image is applied to a contact region between the fixing roller and the first unit is more than 0 mm and 2 mm or less. A second opposing portion is provided between the shaft of the fixing roller and the second unit, such that a distance between the second opposing portion and the second unit when the pressure is applied to the fixing nip portion is more than 0 mm and 2 mm or less.

Fixing apparatus

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that includes a first opening/closing member arranged to be openable and closable with respect to a main body of the image forming apparatus, a second opening/closing member, a unit detachably attachable to the main body, and a crank mechanism configured to convert reciprocating motion caused by an opening and closing operation of the first opening/closing member into rotating motion of the second opening/closing member. A first distance from a moving area of the unit is configured to be greater than a second distance from the moving area to thereby suppress an increase in the size of the image forming apparatus.

In a fixing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a projection portion projected in a direction opposite to a direction biased by the biasing member, from a body part of the biasing member, is provided in a biasing member configured to push a thermosensitive member which receives heat from a heater, toward the heater, so that a crack in the heater at the time of an abnormal temperature rise is prevented.

The fixing apparatus includes a first unit configured to be brought into contact with a surface of a fixing roller so as to heat the fixing roller, a second unit configured to form a fixing nip portion together with the fixing roller, a first regulation part configured to regulate a decrease in distance between a shaft of the fixing roller and the first unit, and a second regulation part configured to regulate a decrease in distance between the shaft of the fixing roller and the second unit. Thus, a heating nip width and a fixing nip width are maintained stably for a long period of time.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body of the apparatus, a plurality of cartridges each including a photosensitive member, and a transfer unit detachably mounted on the main body of the apparatus. The transfer unit includes an endless belt opposing the photosensitive member, a plurality of stretching members configured for stretching the belt, and a frame configured to axially support a plurality of rollers. The frame is provided with a plurality of positioning portions configured to allow abutment of the plurality of cartridges and determine the positions of the plurality of cartridges in the main body of the apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Masafumi Maeda