Fixing belt, fixing device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10466628-B1
Application number	US-201916355869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A fixing belt includes a base composed of a foamed resin layer which contains a flat-shaped heat transfer agent and whose thermal conductivity in a direction of the thickness of the belt is 0.5 W/(m·K) or more.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fixing belt comprising
a base composed of a foamed resin layer which contains a flat-shaped heat transfer agent and whose thermal conductivity in a direction of the thickness of the belt is 0.5 W/(m·K) or more.

2. The fixing belt according to claim 1 , wherein the flat-shaped heat transfer agent is at least one of graphene and graphite.

3. The fixing belt according to claim 1 , wherein the flat-shaped heat transfer agent has an aspect ratio (a major axis/a thickness) of 10 or more.

4. The fixing belt according to claim 1 , wherein the foamed resin layer is a foamed polyimide-based resin layer.

5. The fixing belt according to claim 2 , wherein the foamed resin layer is a foamed polyimide-based resin layer.

6. The fixing belt according to claim 1 , wherein the foamed resin layer has a foaming ratio of from 30% to 65% inclusive.

7. The fixing belt according to claim 6 , wherein the foaming ratio of the foamed resin layer is from 35% to 60% inclusive.

8. The fixing belt according to claim 1 , wherein the foamed resin layer is a closed-cell foamed resin layer.

9. The fixing belt according to claim 8 , wherein the ratio of closed cells in the closed-cell foamed resin layer is 80% or more.

10. The fixing belt according to claim 1 , wherein the fold number of the base composed of the foamed resin layer is 2,500 or more.

11. The fixing belt according to claim 1 , wherein cells are exposed at an inner circumferential surface of the base composed of the foamed resin layer.

12. A fixing device comprising:
a first rotatable member; and
a second rotatable member disposed in contact with an outer surface of the first rotatable member,
wherein at least one of the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member is the fixing belt according to claim 1 .

13. A process cartridge comprising
the fixing device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the process cartridge is attached to and detached from an image forming apparatus.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image holding member;
a charging unit that electrostatically charges a surface of the image holding member;
a latent image forming unit that forms a latent image on the charged surface of the image holding member;
a developing unit that develops the latent image with toner to form a toner image;
a transfer unit that transfers the toner image onto a recording medium; and
a fixing unit that fixes the toner image onto the recording medium, the fixing unit being the fixing device according to claim 12 .

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fukuda Shigeru

Classifications

• C08J2205/052

  Closed cells, i.e. more than 50% of the pores are closed · CPC title

• C08J9/28

  by elimination of a liquid phase from a macromolecular composition or article, e.g. drying of coagulum · CPC title

• C08J2201/0502

  the liquid phase being organic · CPC title

• C08J9/0066

  Use of inorganic compounding ingredients · CPC title

• C08J2379/08

  Polyimides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors · CPC title