FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• Main Authors: OMOTO NOBORU, HAYASHI HIDEAKI, SASAKI KUNITOMO, NAKAYAMA KANJI, HARASHIMA TAKASHI, OTSUKA YUTAKA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 01.02.2024
• Subjects: CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS

To provide a fixing device that has achieved improved running stability of a belt.SOLUTION: In a fixing unit 12 in which an endless belt 31 is laid over a pressing pad 32, a guide member 33, and a heating roller 35, a bypass route part 38 including a sponge body 380 with open cells is provided inside the belt 31. The sponge body 380 forms a bypass route that recovers lubricant on a belt inner peripheral surface 311 with its upper edge part 385, causes the recovered lubricant to flow downward in a vertical direction through the open cells, and returns the lubricant from its lower edge part 386 onto the belt inner peripheral surface 311. In a period other than a fixing period, a fixing device executes a bypass route heating mode for increasing a quantity of heat generated by the heater 36 compared with the fixing period while causing the belt 31 to run in circle, thereby maintaining a high temperature of the belt 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2 【課題】ベルトの走行安定性をより向上することが可能な定着装置を提供すること。【解決手段】無端状のベルト３１が押圧パッド３２とガイド部材３３と加熱ローラー３５とに巻き掛けられてなる定着部１２において、ベルト３１の内側に、連続気泡を有するスポンジ体３８０を含むバイパス経路部３８が設けられている。スポンジ体３８０は、その上縁部３８５でベルト内周面３１１上の潤滑剤を回収し、回収した潤滑剤をその連続気泡を通じて上から下に流動させ、その下縁部３８６からベルト内周面３１１に戻すバイパス経路を構成する。定着時以外のときに、ベルト３１を周回走行しつつ、定着時よりもヒーター３６の発熱量を増加させて、ベルト３１の温度を高く維持するバイパス経路加熱モードを実行する。【選択図】図２