Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Shuuichi Tetsuno

Ken Nakagawa

Takaaki Akamatsu

Kazuhiro Doda

Masaru Shimura

Seiji Saito

Takashi Shimada

Michio Uchida

Shigeru Hoashi

Kenji Kanari

Takamitsu Soda

Yuki Nishizawa

Tomoya Kuruma

Yuichi Yajima

An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.

Image forming apparatus

Image forming apparatus having a transfer device having one or both of concave and convex portions

A fixing roller has a base layer, a rubber layer formed on the base layer and a surface layer formed of a fluororesin tube, and a heater disposed inside the roller. The surface layer of the roller is formed by covering the fluororesin tube on the rubber layer in a condition where the fluororesin tube is pulled in a radial direction of the fluororesin tube, the fluororesin tube has an internal diameter less than an outer diameter of the roller and a thickness of 20 microns or smaller and a crystallization degree of the fluororesin tube being 50% or smaller. The roller is made by expanding the fluororesin tube is in a radial direction and drawing the fluororesin tube in a generatrix direction thereof, wherein a drawing ratio of the fluororesin tube in the drawing the fluororesin tube in the generatrix direction is 5% or smaller.

Fixing apparatus, roller for the fixing apparatus, flexible sleeve for the fixing apparatus, and methods of manufacturing the roller for the fixing apparatus and the flexible sleeve for the fixing apparatus

An image forming apparatus for forming image on a recording medium includes a photosensitive member, a motor, a belt, and a drive member to rotate the belt, the drive member including a driven coupling. The apparatus also includes a drive coupling to rotate by a driving force generated by the motor, the drive coupling being movable in an axial direction to take an engagement position at which the driving force is transmittable to the driven coupling, and a release position. The apparatus further includes a transfer member to transfer a toner image onto the recording medium or the belt, a voltage application unit to apply a voltage to the transfer member, and a control unit to cause the voltage application unit to apply the voltage to the transfer member after the drive coupling moves to the engagement position and the driving force is transmitted to the driven coupling.

Growing community of inventors

Numazu, Japan

Shuuichi Tetsuno