Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.

Shinji Nemoto

Naoto Miyakoshi

Masaru Takagi

Tomohiko Yamakawa

Atsuhiro Wakimoto

Masahiko Fukano

Ryo Matsuyama

A packing member includes a packing case, a first cushioning member that includes a side plate and a second cushioning member that is arranged between the side plate and the packing case, the first cushioning member includes a first engagement portion, the first engagement portion is coupled to an upper edge of the side plate, the second cushioning member includes a second engagement portion, the first cushioning member and the second cushioning member are stored in the packing case, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are engaged with each other by turning the first engagement portion downward such that the first cushioning member is located and the first engagement portion is turned upward such that the engagement of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is released.

Packing member

A packing material includes: a packing case; a support member arranged inside the packing case and having a first side plate facing one side face of a packed article in a first direction; a cushioning member disposed between the packing case and the first side plate and absorbing shock applied from the first direction to the packed article; and a shock distribution plate disposed between the first side plate and the cushioning member, larger than the contact area with the cushioning member and elongate in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The shock distribution plate has such rigidity as not to deform against shock from the cushioning member.

Packing material

A retaining member has annular inner and outer circumferential portions, a connection portion, engagement projections, a slit, a grip portion, a first inclined surface, and a second inclined surface. The engagement projections projects from a shaft-facing surface of the inner circumferential surface. The slit is formed in the inner circumferential portion. The grip portion projects outward in the radial direction from an outer rim of the outer circumferential portion. The first inclined surface is formed at an upstream-side end part of the grip portion with respect to a direction of fitting to the shaft to be inclined outward in the radial direction from upstream side to downstream side in the fitting direction. The second inclined surface is formed at a downstream-side end part of the grip portion to be inclined outward in the radial direction from downstream side to upstream side in the fitting direction.

Retaining member and image forming apparatus including same

In a rotating device, a pair of cuts are formed in an end portion of a metal-made cylindrical body to which a pressure is applied, at positions that face in a diameter direction. A support portion of a synthetic-resin-made bush rotatably supports the cylindrical body. In a state where a center of the cylindrical body matches a rotation center line of the bush, and a first diameter direction connecting respective centers in a circumferential direction of the cuts matches a second diameter direction connecting centers in the circumferential direction of a pair of engaging portions, each interval in the circumferential direction between the engaging portions and edge portions of the cuts is equal to or larger than an interval in a direction perpendicular to the rotation center line between an outer circumferential surface of the support portion and an inner circumferential surface of the end portion.

Rotating device, image forming apparatus

A toner conveyance device includes a conveying screw having a shaft and a spiral blade. The spiral blade includes a start end-side blade adjacent to a bearing positioned at a start end part side in a toner conveyance path, a terminal-side blade adjacent to a bearing positioned at a terminal part side, and an intermediate blade. A toner discharge port is provided between the intermediate blade and the terminal-side blade. A spiral winding direction of the terminal-side blade is opposite to that of the intermediate blade, a spiral winding direction of the start end-side blade is equal to that of the intermediate blade, and a blade diameter of the start end-side blade and a blade diameter of the terminal-side blade are smaller than that of the intermediate blade.

Toner conveyance device and image forming apparatus including the same

A retaining member is integrally formed of an elastically deformable material, and has an inner circumferential portion, an outer circumferential portion, a linkage portion, a plurality of engagement claws, and a slit. The inner and outer circumferential portions are ring-shaped, and the outer circumferential portion is disposed outside the inner circumferential portion in a radial direction. The linkage portion connects the inner circumferential portion and the outer circumferential portion to each other in the radial direction. The engagement claws project from a surface of the inner circumferential portion pointing in a direction of the shaft, and engage with an engagement groove formed in an outer peripheral surface of the shaft. The slit is formed on a side opposite from the linkage portion with a center of the inner circumferential portion located between the slit and the linkage portion, and cuts the inner circumferential portion in the radial direction.

A induction heating unit is configured to inductively heat a heating member being rotated in a predetermined rotating direction by magnetic flux. The induction heating unit includes a housing, a magnetic flux generating source, a core member and a securing member. The magnetic flux generating source is fixed to the housing so as to extend in a sheet width direction intersecting the rotating direction and is configured to generate the magnetic flux. The core member is made of magnetic material, is secured to the housing and is configured so as to make a magnetic path through which the magnetic flux passes. The securing member is made of thermal contraction material and is contracted by being heated at predetermined temperature to secure the core member to the housing.

Induction heating unit and fixing device and image forming apparatus including this

A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring member, a pressing member and a sheet member. The sheet member is disposed between the fixing belt and the pressing member. The sheet member includes a sliding contact part, an upstream side fixed part, a downstream side fixed part and a loose part. The sliding contact part comes into sliding contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt. The upstream side fixed part is fixed to the pressing member at an upstream side of the sliding contact part. The downstream side fixed part is fixed to the pressing member at a downstream side of the sliding contact part. The loose part is formed in at least one of an area between the sliding contact part and the upstream side fixed part and an area between the sliding contact part and the downstream side fixed part.

Fixing device including sheet member disposed between fixing belt and pressing member and image forming apparatus including the same

A fixing device includes a housing, an induction heating unit, a first rotator, a second rotator, a shield member, an airflow generation unit, a cooling air path, and inlets. The shield member opposes the induction heating unit on a side thereof opposite from the first rotator. The airflow generation unit generates an airflow to cool the induction heating unit. The cooling air path is provided extending along the shield member on a side thereof opposite from the induction heating unit. The inlets open in the shield member, plurally arranged at intervals and paralleling the axis, for causing the airflow from the cooling air path to flow in toward the induction heating unit. The intervals between adjacent axially end-ward inlets are set narrower than the interval between axially central adjacent inlets.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus with fixing device that ensure effective cooling of induction heating unit

A fixing device includes a heating source, a pressing member, a heating member, a nip pressure switching mechanism, a separating member and a restricting piece. The pressing member comes in pressure-contact with the heating member and forms a fixing nip. The nip pressure switching mechanism moves the pressing member between a first position and a second position. The separating member is movable between a separating position where the separating member is in contact with the heating member or faces the heating member and a cleaning position separated away from the heating member farther than the separating position. The restricting piece restricts the movement of the separating member under a state where the pressing member is at the first position and permits the movement of the separating member under a state where the pressing member is at the second position.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Shinji Nemoto