FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• Main Authors: IWATANI NAOKI, FUJIWARA HITOSHI, MATSUDA RYOHEI, TAKAHASHI YOSHIHARU
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 07.01.2021
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

To accurately determine the position of a nip forming member with respect to a support member in a recording medium conveyance direction.SOLUTION: A fixing device comprises: an endless fixing belt; a pressure roller that faces the fixing belt; a nip forming member that is in contact with the pressure roller with the fixing belt therebetween to form a fixing nip with the pressure roller; a stay 25 that supports the nip forming member; and a positioning member 45 for determining the position of the nip forming member with respect to the stay 25. The nip forming member has a plurality of projections projecting toward the positioning member 45 in its longitudinal direction. The positioning member 45 has, in the longitudinal direction of the nip forming member, a plurality of insertion holes having the projections inserted thereinto and regulating the movements of the nip forming member with respect to the positioning member 45 in a sheet direction and a direction opposite thereto. Of the insertion holes, an insertion hole 45a1 provided at a position corresponding to an end in the longitudinal direction of the nip forming member has a plurality of projections 41a1 inserted thereinto, which are provided in parallel in the longitudinal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5 【課題】記録媒体搬送方向において、ニップ形成部材を支持部材に対して高精度に位置決めすること。【解決手段】無端状の定着ベルトと、定着ベルトに対向する加圧ローラと、定着ベルトを介して加圧ローラに当接して加圧ローラとの間に定着ニップを形成するニップ形成部材と、ニップ形成部材を支持するステー２５と、ニップ形成部材をステー２５に対して位置決めするための位置決め部材４５とを備えた定着装置であって、ニップ形成部材は、位置決め部材４５の側へ突出した凸部を自身の長手方向に複数有し、位置決め部材４５は、凸部が挿入され、ニップ形成部材の位置決め部材４５に対する用紙方向およびその逆方向への移動を規制する挿入孔を、ニップ形成部材の長手方向に複数有し、挿入孔のうち、ニップ形成部材の長手方向端部側に対応する位置に設けられた挿入孔４５ａ１には、長手方向に並設された複数の凸部４１ａ１が挿入される。【選択図】図５