Device including rotator and belt, such as a fixing device for an image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11977345-B2
Application number	US-202117187960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2021
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A device includes a rotator having a rotation axis, a belt, a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, a holder holding the nip forming member, a first stay supporting the holder, an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator, a second stay, and a connector. The nip forming member is configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip. The first stay extends in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis. The second stay is positioned upstream of the first stay in a moving direction of the belt at the nip. The moving direction is perpendicular to the width direction. The connector extends through at least one of the first stay and the second stay to connect the first stay to the second stay.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a rotator having a rotation axis;
a belt;
a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, the nip forming member configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip;
a holder directly contacting and holding the nip forming member;
a first stay supporting the holder, the first stay extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis;
an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator;
a second stay positioned upstream of the first stay in a moving direction of the belt at the nip, the moving direction being perpendicular to the width direction; and
a connector connecting the first stay to the second stay;
wherein the first stay includes:
a base portion that has a first end directly contacting the holder and a second end opposite the first end in a particular direction orthogonal to each of the rotation axis and the moving direction of the belt at the nip; and
a bend portion that extends from the second end of the base portion, the bend portion being located at a first area in the width direction, and not being located at a second area in the width direction, wherein a width of the bend portion of the first stay in the width direction is less than a width of the base portion of the first stay in the width direction and wherein the bend portion includes a wall extending parallel to the base portion, and

wherein the connector connects the first stay and the second stay at the second area.

2. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wall is located upstream of the base portion in the moving direction of the belt at the nip.

3. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first stay comprises a metal, and
wherein the bend portion includes a portion bent by hemming.

4. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connector extends through each of the first stay and the second stay.

5. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second stay is configured to contact the holder.

6. The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the nip forming member includes an upstream pad and a downstream pad, the upstream pad being located upstream of the downstream pad in the moving direction of the belt at the nip,
wherein the device has a gap between the upstream pad and the downstream pad, and
wherein the first end of the base portion is closer to the downstream pad than the upstream pad.

7. A device for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a rotator having a rotation axis;
a belt;
a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, the nip forming member configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip;
a holder having a first side directly contacting the nip forming member;
a first stay supporting the holder, the first stay extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis;
an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator;
a second stay positioned upstream of the first stay in a moving direction of the belt at the nip, the moving direction being perpendicular to the width direction; and
a connector connecting the first stay to the second stay;
wherein the first stay includes:
a base portion that has a first end to contact the holder and a second end being located opposite the first end in a particular direction orthogonal to each of the rotation axis and the moving direction of the belt at the nip, the base portion being configured to support the holder in a direction in which the base portion extends; and
a bend portion that extends from the second end of the base portion, the bend portion including an upstream wall, the upstream wall extending parallel to the base portion,

wherein the upstream wall and the second stay overlap in the moving direction, and
wherein the holder includes a second side opposite the first side in the particular direction orthogonal to each of the rotation axis and the moving direction of the belt at the nip, wherein the second side extends in the moving direction of the belt at the nip, and the first end of the base portion directly contacts the second side of the holder.

8. The device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the base portion of the first stay extends in a certain direction perpendicular to each of the width direction and the moving direction,
wherein the upstream wall of the first stay extends in the certain direction, and
wherein the base portion faces the upstream wall in the moving direction.

9. The device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the upstream wall includes a first end and a second end, the first end being closer to the holder than the second end, and
wherein the first end of the upstream wall is farther from the holder than the first end of the base portion.

10. The device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second stay includes a base portion and an extension portion, the base portion extending parallel to the upstream wall, the extension portion extending toward the first stay from an end of the base portion.

11. The device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first stay comprises a metal, and
wherein the bend portion includes a portion bent by hemming.

12. The device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the connector extends through each of the first stay and the second stay.

13. The device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second stay is configured to contact the holder.

14. The device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the nip forming member includes an upstream pad and a downstream pad, the upstream pad being located upstream of the downstream pad in the moving direction of the belt at the nip,
wherein the device has a gap between the upstream pad and the downstream pad, and
wherein the first end of the base portion is closer to the downstream pad than the upstream pad.

15. The device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the nip forming member includes a pad supported by the holder, and
wherein the base portion of the first stay overlaps the pad in a direction in which the base portion extends.

16. A device for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a rotator having a rotation axis;
a belt;
a nip forming member surrounded by the belt, the nip forming member configured to, with the rotator, pinch the belt to form a nip;
a holder holding the nip forming member;
a first stay supporting the holder, the first stay extending in a width direction parallel to the rotation axis;
an urging member urging the first stay toward the rotator;
wherein the first stay includes:
a base portion that has a first end to contact the holder and a second end being located opposite the first end in a particular direction orthogonal to each of the rotation axis and a moving direction of the belt at the nip; and
a bend portion integrally formed with the base portion that extends from the second end of the base portion, the bend portion including an upstream wall, the upstream wall extending toward the holder, and

wherein the upstream wall includes a first end and a second end, the first end being closer to the holder than the second end in the particular direction,
wherein the holder has a first side and a second side, the first side directly contacting the nip forming member, and the second side being opposite the first side in the particular direction, and
wherein the first end of the upstream wall is spaced apart from the second side of the holder in the moving direction of the belt at the nip, and is farther from the second side of the holder than the first end of the base portion.

17. The device according to claim 16 ,
wherein the base portion o

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Taguchi Kazuna
• Handa Hiroshi
• Fukue Shuhei
• Watanabe Tomonori
• Takeuchi Kenji
• Ogasawara Tatsuo

Classifications

• G03G2215/2035

  the fixing nip having a stationary belt support member opposing a pressure member · CPC title

• G03G15/2053 Primary

  Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating · CPC title

• G03G15/2017 Primary

  Structural details of the fixing unit in general, e.g. cooling means, heat shielding means (G03G15/2053 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G15/206 Primary

  Structural details or chemical composition of the pressure elements and layers thereof · CPC title

• G03G21/1685

  for the fixing unit · CPC title