Konica Minolta, Inc.

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Susumu Sudo

Eiichi Yoshida

Izumi Mukoyama

Akira Ohira

Yasuo Kurachi

Miyuki Murakami

Junji Ujihara

Tetsuo Sano

Kotaro Takebe

Provided is a fixing belt that is used in a fixing device, the fixing device nipping, between a heated fixing belt and a roller, a recording material in which an unfixed toner image is formed on a surface, and fixing the toner image onto the recording material, and the fixing belt has a fixing temperature that causes a tipping point in a characteristic of a change in glossiness of the toner image that has been fixed with respect to a change in the fixing temperature.

Fixing belt, fixing device, image forming apparatus, and image forming method capable of coping with both low glossiness and high glossiness

An image forming method includes developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor with a toner, transferring a formed toner image onto a recording material, and fixing the toner image on a surface of the recording material, in which a storage elastic modulus of the toner is 2.0&#xd7;10Pa or more at 70&#xb0; C. and 4.0&#xd7;10Pa or less at 90&#xb0; C., and in the fixing, a fixing belt having an elastic layer which contains a material having a storage elastic modulus of 1.0&#xd7;10Pa or more and 2.5&#xd7;10Pa or less at 200&#xb0; C. is used.

Image forming method and image forming apparatus

A resistance heating element contains a heat-resistant resin and conductive stainless steel fiber coated with a film, and satisfies the following expression (1): 1&#x2264;(r1/r0)&#x2264;1.03, where rrepresents the initial resistance value of the resistance heating element, and rrepresents the resistance value of the resistance heating element after allowed to stand at 30&#xb0; C. and a relative humidity of 80% for one week.

Resistance heating element, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

An endless heat-generation beltincludes a heat-generation layerand a pair of metal electrodesand. The heat-generation layeris composed of an electroconductive resin composition and the heat-generation layercan be heated by supplying electricity. The metal electrodeis bonded to the heat-generation layerwith an electroconductive adhesive. The electroconductive adhesivecontains an adhesive matrix and an electroconductive filler. The adhesive matrix is a modified silicone resin or an epoxy resin. The heat-generation belthas excellent heat resistance, durability, and resistance stability, and it can be used for a fixing device of an image forming apparatus.

Heat-generation belt, fixing device, and image forming apparatus

An object is to provide an intermediate transfer belt and a method for producing the same which inhibits fine toner dots in white area in an environment of low temperature and low humidity and further, inhibits roughness of image with long-term use. An intermediate transfer belt for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising a polyimide having a dispersed conductive filler, wherein the polyimide contains a unit structure represented by Formula (1);  

Intermediate transfer belt and method for producing the same

A heat-producing element for a fixing device to carry out heat-fixing after a toner image having been formed using a pulverized toner is transferred on an image support, a heat-producing element for a fixing device in which a thin-leaf graphite-pulverized material of a volume specific resistance of 10&#x3a9;&#xb7;cm to less than 10&#x3a9;&#xb7;cm is incorporated in a heat-resistant resin as a conductive material.

Heat-producing element for fixing device and image forming apparatus

A sheet heater that includes a sheet article composed of a conductive resin composition containing a conductive material and a resin, and a pair of metal plate electrodes, each of the electrodes being bonded to each of the ends of the sheet article, wherein when elements of the sheet article are detected at a portion 1 &#x3bc;m depth from a surface of the metal plate electrode, a peak area ratio of silicon (Si) to metal ion (M) is 1/100 to 1, the metal ion M being most abundant of all metal ions detected at the portion, the peaks being obtained by measuring an X ray generated at the portion by applying an X ray to the portion with the scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer.

Sheet heater and image fixing device including the sheet heater

Disclosed is a heat-producing fixing belt of a cylindrical shape which is composed of a heat-producing layer, an elastic layer, and a releasing layer in this sequential order from the inner side, and the heat-producing layer contains a polyimide resin and fabric containing carbon fiber and a pair of electrodes to supply power to the heat-producing layer making contact with the fabric containing carbon fiber are provided on both ends of the cylindrical shape.

Heat-producing fixing belt and image forming apparatus using the same

Disclosed are a heating fixing belt and a fixing device by which good long-term durability is achieved, and a process for forming the heating fixing belt. The heating fixing belt comprises a resistance heating layer formed of a resin in which at least a conductive substance is dispersed, a parting layer laminated on the resistance heating layer and a pair of electrodes for supplying electric power to the resistance heating layer, which are respectively stacked and provided on both end portions of the resistance heating layer in such a manner that at least parts thereof come into contact with the resistance heating layer, wherein the electrodes are each composed of a metal mesh sheet. In the heating fixing belt, the metal mesh sheet forming the electrode preferably has an aperture ratio of 10 to 60.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Susumu Sudo