Fixing device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9581944-B2
Application number	US-201213813412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2012
Priority date	Oct 17, 2011
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A fixing device 23 according to the present invention includes: a fixing roller 25 for fixing a toner image onto a sheet of paper; a plurality of separation claws 40 in contact with the fixing roller 25 to separate the sheet of paper, onto which the toner image is fixed, from the fixing roller 25 ; a holder 28 for supporting the plurality of separation claws 40 ; and a slide mechanism 30 for sliding the holder 28 along a longitudinal direction of the fixing roller 25.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fixing device comprising:
a fixing roller for fixing a toner image onto a sheet of paper;
a plurality of separation claws that are in contact with the fixing roller to separate a sheet of paper, onto which a toner image is fixed, from the fixing roller;
a holder for supporting the plurality of separation claws;
a slide mechanism for sliding the holder along an axial direction of the fixing roller; and
a fixing roller rotating gear configured to be rotatable integrally with the fixing roller,
wherein the slide mechanism comprises:
a driving gear configured to be rotatable to mesh with the fixing roller rotating gear; and
a cam configured to be formed integrally with the driving gear and rotatable integrally therewith, such that the cam presses the holder along the axial direction of the fixing roller,
wherein the drive gear and the cam compose a cylinder of one piece in which the drive gear and the cam are adjacent to each other in an axial direction of the cylinder without interposing an intermediate element therebetween,
wherein the holder, when viewed in a side view, comprises a U-shaped attachment plate, and the cam is configured to abut on an upper end of one of a pair of bent parts projecting at ends of the attachment plate, said ends being defined with respect to the axial direction of the fixing roller, and
wherein a pair of separation claw supporting plates, to which the plurality of separation claws are fixed, is fixed to a bottom of the U-shaped attachment plate in an opposite direction with respect to the pair of bent parts and at an equal interval from a center part of the fixing roller in the axial direction of the fixing roller.

2. The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the slide mechanism further comprises:
a biasing member configured to bias the holder toward the cam,
wherein a position to which the holder is pressed by the cam changes with rotation of the cam.

3. The fixing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a decelerating gear that decelerates rotation of the fixing roller rotating gear to convey the rotation to the driving gear.

4. The fixing device according to claim 2 , wherein the cylinder is solid or hollow and the cam is configured to press the holder such that the position of the holder changes continuously.

5. The fixing device according to claim 3 , wherein the cylinder is solid or hollow and the cam is configured to press the holder such that the position of the holder changes continuously.

6. The fixing device according to claim 1 , wherein
a columnar projection is fixed to each of the pair of bent parts of the U-shaped attachment plate,
a pair of holder attachment plates is provided at a cover configured to cover the fixing device,
the columnar projection is inserted in a round hole provided at each of the pair of holder attachment plates, and
the holder is configured to be supported by the cover slidably in the axial direction of the fixing roller.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Nakamura Satoru
• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Nakamura Satoru

Classifications

• G03G15/2028 Primary

  with means for handling the copy material in the fixing nip, e.g. introduction guides, stripping means · CPC title

• G03G15/2085

  Physics · mapped topic