Peeling device and fixing device and image forming apparatus using the peeling device

• US 20040120735A1
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Baba, Motofumi, Uehara, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,062,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/323
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2028 with means for handling the copy material in the fixing nip, e.g. introduction guides, stripping means

Abstract

In order to enable a stable peeling operation, there are provided: one of (1) a peeling device including: a peeling guide plate one side of which is provided close to a surface of the rotating member; and an air jetting unit that jets a pulsed compressed air toward a gap between the rotating member and the peeling guide plate from a region interposed between the surface of the rotating member and the surface of the peeling guide plate that faces the surface of the rotating member, and (2) a peeling device including a peeling guide plate one side of which is provided close to a surface of the rotating member and which has at least one portion that projects toward the surface of the rotating member; and a fixing device and an image forming apparatus using at least one of the peeling devices.

Claims

1. A peeling device for peeling off a sheet-like recording medium that is conveyed while adhering to a surface of a rotating member that rotates, from the rotating member, comprising:

a peeling guide plate one side of which is close to a surface of the rotating member in a region where the surface of the rotating member advances while curving in the rotating direction, or on a downstream side of the region and which is disposed in a rotating direction of the rotating member; and

an air jetting unit that jets a pulsed compressed air toward a gap between the surface of the rotating member and the one side of the peeling guide plate that is close to the surface of the rotating member from a region interposed between the surface of the rotating member and the surface of the peeling guide plate that faces the surface of the rotating member.

2. A peeling device according to claim 1, wherein the compressed air is jetted by the air jetting unit so that the compressed air is blown to a leading end when the leading end of the recording medium in a conveying direction which is conveyed in accordance with a rotation of the rotating member is close to a position at which the peeling guide plate is disposed.

3. A peeling device according to claim 2, wherein the air jetting unit is controlled so as to jet only the compressed air in an amount sufficient for the leading end of the recording medium in the conveying direction which is peeled off from the surface of the rotating member due to the compressed air to run onto the one side of the peeling guide plate which is close to the surface of the rotating member, and a portion subsequent to the leading end of the recording medium in the conveying direction successively runs on the one side of the peeling guide plate which is close to the surface of the rotating member while the recording medium is conveyed in accordance with the rotation of the rotating member, and the surface of the recording medium is rubbed and moved on a rear side of the surface of the peeling guide plate which faces the surface of the rotating member so that the recording medium is successively peeled off from the surface of the rotating member, and an entire surface of the recording medium is finally peeled off from the recording medium.

4. A peeling device according to claim 1, wherein the air jetting unit has a nozzle that jets the compressed air, disposed in the region interposed between the surface of the rotating member and the surface of the peeling guide plate that faces the rotating member.

5. A peeling device according to claim 4, wherein the plural nozzles are disposed in a direction perpendicular to the rotating direction of the rotating member.

6. A peeling device according to claim 4, wherein a portion of the one side of the peeling guide plate which is close to the surface of the rotating member, which faces a center of an advancing direction of the compressed air which is jetted by each of the nozzles and vicinities thereof project toward the surface of the rotating member.

8. A fixing device which has at least a heat rotating member that rotates while a surface of the heat rotating member is heated, and a pressure rotating member which is abutted against the surface of the heat rotating member to form a nip portion, and in which a sheet-like recording medium whose surface has a toner image formed thereon with an unfixed toner passes through the nip portion so that the surface on which the toner image is formed is abutted against the surface of the heat rotating member to fix the toner image, the fixing device comprising:

a peeling device that peels off the recording medium that is conveyed while adhering to the surface of the heat rotating member due to the fused toner which forms the toner image after passing through the nip portion from the heat rotating member, the peeling device comprising the peeling device according to claim 1.

9. A fixing device according to claim 8, wherein the heat rotating member is formed in a roll shape or an endless belt shape.

10. A fixing device according to claim 8, wherein the pressure rotating member is formed in a roll shape or an endless belt shape.

14. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a toner image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a surface of a sheet-like recording medium through an electrophotographic process; and

a fixing unit that fixes the toner image retained on the surface of the recording medium by heating and pressurizing, the fixing unit comprising the fixing device according to claim 8.

7. A peeling device for peeling off a sheet-like recording medium that is conveyed while adhering to a surface of a rotating member that rotates, from the rotating member comprising:

a peeling guide plate one side of which is close to a surface of the rotating member in a region where the surface of the rotating member advances while curving in the rotating direction, or on a downstream side of the region and which is disposed (in a laid state) in a rotating direction of the rotating member,

wherein the one side of the peeling guide plate which is close to the surface of the rotating member has at least one portion projecting toward the surface of the rotating member.

11. A fixing device which has at least a heat rotating member that rotates while a surface of the heat rotating member is heated, and a pressure rotating member which is abutted against the surface of the heat rotating member to form a nip portion, and in which a sheet-like recording medium whose surface has a toner image formed thereon with an unfixed toner passes through the nip portion so that the surface on which the toner image is formed is abutted against the surface of the heat rotating member to fix the toner image, the fixing device comprising:

a peeling device that peels off the recording medium that is conveyed while adhering to the surface of the heat rotating member due to the fused toner which forms the toner image after passing through the nip portion from the heat rotating member, the peeling device comprising the peeling device according to claim 7.

12. A fixing device according to claim 11, wherein the heat rotating member is formed in a roll shape or an endless belt shape.

13. A fixing device according to claim 11, wherein the pressure rotating member is formed in a roll shape or an endless belt shape.

15. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a toner image forming unit that forms an unfixed toner image on a surface of a sheet-like recording medium through an electrophotographic process; and

a fixing unit that fixes the toner image retained on the surface of the recording medium by heating and pressurizing the medium, the fixing unit comprising the fixing device according to claim 11.