Image-forming apparatus

• US 20070059019A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kasama, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/91
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6573 Feeding path after the fixing point and up to the discharge tray or the finisher, e.g. special treatment of copy material to compensate for effects from the fixing

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus comprises: a transfer part that transfers a toner image to a sheet; a fixing part that heats a sheet to which a toner image is transferred by the transfer part to a temperature at which the toner on the sheet melts, and ejects the sheet; a vibrating part that vibrates a member positioned near and/or above the fixing part at a frequency higher than audible frequencies.

Claims

1. An image-forming apparatus, comprising:

a transfer part that transfers a toner image to a sheet;

a fixing part that heats a sheet to which a toner image is transferred by the transfer part to a temperature at which the toner on the sheet melts, and ejects the sheet;

a vibrating part that vibrates a member positioned near and/or above the fixing part at a frequency higher than audible frequencies.

2. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member is a guide member that guides a sheet ejected from the fixing part in a predetermined direction.

3. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member is a housing member that forms a part of a housing covering the transfer part and the fixing part, and defines ventilation holes for allowing air to pass between inside and outside the apparatus in the vicinity of the fixing part.

4. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member is a cover member covering the fixing part.

5. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating part is a piezoelectric transducer.

6. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a measuring part that measures humidity in the vicinity of the vibrating part and a controller that controls the vibrating part to vibrate the member when the humidity measured by the measuring part is higher than a predetermined humidity.