FIXING AND SHEET CONVEYING MECHANISM IN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• Main Author: TAKADA OSAMU
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 02.02.2015
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fixing and sheet conveying mechanism that reduces dew condensation on a sheet subjected to thermal fixing and exported to the downstream side with a simple configuration to prevent taint damage to the surface of the sheet.SOLUTION: A sheet conveying mechanism includes a slow cooling roll that is arranged between a fixing unit and a paper ejection roller arranged on the downstream side thereof to decrease the temperature of a sheet to a predetermined temperature, where the slow cooling roll decreases the temperature of the surface of the sheet to the predetermined temperature at which dew condensation does not occur in front of the paper ejecting roller, and subsequently cools the sheet simultaneously with the application of a conveying force to the sheet by a conveying roller. For this purpose, the slow cooling roll has a roll surface formed of a mold release layer having relatively high thermal conductivity, and a heat insulating layer provided between the mold release layer and a rotation shaft member. 【課題】簡単な構造で加熱定着から下流側に搬出するシートの結露を低減し、シート表面の汚損を防止することが可能な画像形成装置における定着シート搬送機構を提供する。【解決手段】定着ユニットと、その下流側に配置された排紙ローラとの間にシートを所定温度に低減する徐冷ロールを配置し、排紙ローラの手前でシート表面の温度を露化しない所定温度に低下させ、その後に搬送ローラでシートに搬送力を付与するのと同時に冷却する。このため徐冷ロールは、ロール表面は比較的熱伝導率が高い離型層で形成し、回転軸部材と離型層との間に断熱層を設ける。【選択図】図３