Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Yoshihiro Miyauchi

Kei Ishida

Noboru Suzuki

Tomohiro Kondo

Yasushi Fujiwara

Takuji Matsuno

Kenji Takeuchi

Kotaro Haruta

Etsuko Fujiwara

A fixing device for thermally fixing a developer image transferred onto a recording sheet, includes: a flexible fusing member which is flexibly deformable; a heating element; a nip member disposed in such a manner as to contact with a surface of the flexible fusing member and to allow the flexible fusing member to slide along the nip member; a reflecting plate configured to reflect radiant heat from the heating element in a direction toward the nip member; a backup member configured to nip the flexible fusing member with the nip member to thereby form a nip portion for the recording sheet between the flexible fusing member and the backup member; and a stay configured to support both end portions of the nip member. The reflecting plate has at least one flange portion, and the flange portion is held and supported between the nip member and the stay.

Fixing device

A fixing device includes a tubular fusing film, a heater, a nip member, a backup member, a backup member, first supporting member, and a second supporting member. The heater may be disposed inside the tubular shape of the fusing film. The nip member may be disposed so as to be in sliding contact with the inner surface of the fusing film and heated by the heater. The backup member may form a nip portion between the backup member and the fusing film with the fusing film between the backup member and the nip member. The first supporting member may be configured to integrally support the heater and the nip member. The second supporting member may be configured to movably support the first supporting member so that the nip member moves relative to the backup member.

A fixing device includes: a fusing member; a heater; a nip member; a reflection member; a stay; and a backup member. The fusing member has an inner peripheral surface defining an internal space and is circularly movable. The inner peripheral surface is in sliding contact with the nip member. The reflection member reflects a radiant heat from the heater toward the nip member. The reflection member includes a reflection portion and an extending portion. The stay covers the reflection portion and supports the nip member. The extending portion extends outside of the stay. The backup member provides a nip region in cooperation with the nip member upon nipping the tubular flexible fusing member between the backup member and the nip member. The extending portion extends between the nip member and the stay. The extending portion is positioned exclusively downstream of the reflection portion in a sheet feeding direction.

There is provided a fixing device for thermally fixing a developing agent image to a sheet. The fixing device includes a tubular flexible member, a heater, a nip member, a reflection plate, a backup member, a stay and a temperature sensor. The flexible member has an inner peripheral surface defining an internal space. The heater is disposed in the internal space and is configured to generate a radiant heat. The nip member is disposed in the internal space, the inner peripheral surface being in sliding contact with the nip member. The reflection plate is configured to reflect the radiant heat from the heater toward the nip member, the reflection plate having an outer profile. The backup member is configured to provide a nip region in cooperation with the nip member for nipping the flexible member between the backup member and the nip member. The stay covers the reflection plate and supports the nip member, the stay having a profile in conformance with the outer profile of the reflection plate, and the stay being formed with one of a through-hole and a notch. The temperature sensor is disposed in the internal space and extends through the one of the through-hole and the notch.

Fixing device provided with temperature sensor

A fixing device configured to heat-fix a developer image on a recording sheet, the fixing device includes: a flexible cylindrical member; a nip member configured to slidingly contact an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member; a heating member that is arranged at an inside of the cylindrical member and is configured to heat the nip member; a stay configured to support the nip member with surrounding the heating member; a backup member configured to interpose the cylindrical member between the nip member and the backup member; a cover member that is arranged at the inside of the cylindrical member and is configured to cover the stay from an opposite side to the heating member; and a first support member configured to support the cover member and form a gap between the stay and the cover member.

In a fixing device for thermally fixing a developer image transferred onto a recording sheet, a nip plate is disposed on an inner surface of a tubular flexible fusing member which is flexibly deformable in such a manner that permits the fusing member to slide along the nip plate, and configured to be heated by a heating element disposed inside the fusing member. The fusing member is nipped between the nip plate and a backup member to form a nip portion between the fusing member and the backup member. The nip plate is bent to form a recessed portion which opens on the inner surface of the fusing member and holds a lubricant.

Nip plate configuration for a fixing device

A fixing device for thermally fixing a developing agent image to a sheet includes: a flexible tubular member having an inner peripheral surface and circularly moving in a moving direction while the developing agent image is thermally fixed; a heater; a nip member being in sliding contact with the tubular member; a backup member nipping the tubular member in cooperation with the nip member; a stay covering the heater and supporting the nip member; an electric component positioned opposite to the heater with respect to the stay; and a frame supporting the electric component. The frame includes: an isolating portion interposed between the tubular member and the electric component for isolating the electric component from the tubular member; and a guide portion guiding the inner peripheral surface of the tubular member while the flexible tubular member is moving in the moving direction.

Fixing device capable of suppressing contact between tubular member and electric components

A fixing device includes a tubular body extending in a first direction, a heater disposed in an internal space of the tubular body, a frame supporting the tubular body and a plate-like member provided on the frame. The tubular body has an open end in the first direction. The heater includes a hollow tube extending in the first direction, a heat generating element disposed in a hollow space of the tube, a terminal fixed to the frame, and a pin connecting the heat generating element and the terminal. The frame has a first surface positioned to oppose the open end of the tubular body in the first direction. The plate-like member is positioned between the open end and the first surface in the first direction, the plate-like member being formed with a pin opening for permitting the pin to penetrate therethrough.

Fixing device provided with member for covering terminal of heater

A fuser unit may include a cylindrical member, a heat generator, a nip member, and a backup member. A nip part may be defined between the cylindrical member and the backup member. The fuser unit may further include a conductive member, arranged to cover the heat generator at the inside of the cylindrical member, a temperature detection unit, a wiring, a first frame having insulation, arranged at an opposite side to the heat generator with respect to the conductive member being interposed therebetween at the inside of the cylindrical member, and which extends along the conductive member, and a second frame, arranged at an opposite side to the conductive member with respect to the first frame being interposed therebetween at the inside of the cylindrical member, and which extends along the first frame, wherein the wiring is arranged between the first frame and the second frame.

Fuser unit

A fixing device for thermally fixing an image to a sheet includes: a tubular flexible member; a nip member; a heater; a reflection member; a backup member; and a temperature sensor. The tubular flexible member has an inner peripheral surface defining an internal space. The nip member is disposed in the internal space and has a surface and an opposite surface. The heater is disposed in the internal space confronting the nip member. The reflection member is configured to reflect radiant heat from the heater toward the nip member. The backup member may provide a nip region with the nip member for nipping the tubular flexible member between the backup member and the nip member. The temperature sensor is disposed in the internal space and is configured to detect a temperature of the nip member. The temperature sensor is positioned outside of the reflection member and confronting the opposite surface.

A fixing device includes: a tubular member; a heater; a nip member including a base portion, a connecting portion, and a flange portion; a backup member; and a guide member. The tubular member is circularly movable in a circularly-moving direction. The guide member has a part positioned upstream of the nip member in the circularly-moving direction and configured to guide the tubular member. The part has an end portion containing a most downstream end at which the tubular member is directed to a position between the nip member and the backup member. The nip member and the guide member define a first imaginary plane containing a line connecting a first curved portion provided by a boundary region between the connecting portion and the base portion, and the most downstream end. The first imaginary plane is positioned opposite to the heater relative to a first end of the flange portion.

Fixing device having guide for guiding movement of fusing belt

A fixing device may include first and second fixing members arranged to form a nip portion, an urging member that provides an urging force to urge the first fixing member toward the second fixing member, a change member configured to change a width of the nip portion from a first nip width to a second nip width by applying a pressing force to the first fixing member against the urging force of the urging member and change the width of the nip portion from the second nip width to the first nip width by releasing the pressing force, and a restriction portion configured to restrict movement of the first fixing member and restrict a maximum value of the first nip width of the nip portion while the pressing force against the urging force is released.

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Yoshihiro Miyauchi