Fixing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016132006-A1
Application number	US-201514932615-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fixing device includes a tubular film; a heater including a first surface being in contact with the film, the heater including a substrate and a heat-generating resistor; a heat-conductive member being in contact with a second surface of the heater opposite to the first surface, the heat-conductive member having a higher thermal conductivity than the substrate; and a supporting member supporting the heater with the heat-conductive member interposed therebetween. The heat-conductive member includes first and second parts at upstream and downstream ends, respectively, in a conveyance direction, and a third part between the first and second parts. The first to third parts are each held between the supporting member and the heater. A non-contact area between the heat-conductive member and the supporting member is provided between the first part and the second part in the conveyance direction. The heat-conductive member is shorter than the heater in the conveyance direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fixing device that fixes a toner image on a recording material while conveying the recording material carrying the toner image at a nip, the fixing device comprising:
a tubular film; a heater including a first surface that is in contact with the film, the heater including a substrate and a heat-generating resistor provided on the substrate; a heat-conductive member that is in contact with a second surface of the heater opposite to the first surface, the heat-conductive member having a higher thermal conductivity than the substrate; and a supporting member that supports the heater with the heat-conductive member interposed between the supporting member and the heater, wherein the heat-conductive member includes
a first part disposed at an upstream end in a conveyance direction of the recording material, the first part being in contact with both the supporting member and the heater and being held between the supporting member and the heater;
a second part disposed at a downstream end in the conveyance direction, the second part being in contact with both the supporting member and the heater and being held between the supporting member and the heater; and
a third part disposed between the first part and the second part in the conveyance direction, the third part being in contact with both the supporting member and the heater and being held between the supporting member and the heater,
wherein a non-contact area, in which the heat-conductive member is not in contact with the supporting member, is provided between the first part and the second part in the conveyance direction, and wherein a length of the heat-conductive member in the conveyance direction is shorter than a length of the heater in the conveyance direction.

2 . The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the non-contact area is formed by a recess portion provided in the supporting member.

3 . The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the heat-generating resistor overlaps at least one of the first part and the second part of the heat-conductive member in the conveyance direction.

4 . The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-generating resistor is provided on the substrate so as not to overlap the first part and the second part in the conveyance direction.

5 . The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting member includes a protruding portion positioned between the first part and the second part in the conveyance direction, the protruding portion protruding toward the heat-conductive member and being in contact with the heat-conductive member.

6 . The fixing device according to claim 5 , wherein the protruding portion is in contact with a central portion, in the direction of conveyance of the recording material, of the heat-conductive member.

7 . The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein a width of the heat-conductive member in the conveyance direction is smaller than a width of the heater.

8 . The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the heat-conductive member is a metal plate.

9 . The fixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a backup member that forms the nip in combination with the heater and with the film interposed between the backup member and the heater, the recording material being conveyed through the nip.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Narahara Takashi
• Imaizumi Toru
• Minamishima Yasuhito
• Ogawa Kenichi

Classifications

• G03G15/2053 Primary

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