FIXING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20150063882A1
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: NAKANO, Kuniaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,229,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/329
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2053 Structural details of heat elements, e.g. structure of roller or belt, eddy current, induction heating
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/2035 the fixing nip having a stationary belt support member opposing a pressure member

Abstract

A fixing device includes a fixing belt, a pressuring member, a nip forming member, a supporting member, a heating source, a heat conducting member, and a reflecting member. The pressuring member comes into pressure contact with the fixing belt to form a fixing nip. The nip forming member presses the fixing belt toward the pressuring member. The heat conducting member comes into contact with an inner circumference face of the fixing belt and absorbs a radiant heat emitted from the heating source. The reflecting member includes a reflecting part and a regulating part. The reflecting part reflects the radiant heat emitted to the supporting member toward the heat conducting member. The regulating part is unified with the reflecting part and comes into contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt to regulate looseness of the fixing belt.

Claims

1. A fixing device comprising:

a fixing belt arranged rotatably;

a pressuring member arranged outside the fixing belt to come into pressure contact with the fixing belt so as to form a fixing nip;

a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing belt to press the fixing belt to a side of the pressuring member;

a supporting member supporting the nip forming member;

a heating source arranged inside the fixing belt to emit radiant heat;

a heat conducting member coming into contact with an inner circumference face of the fixing belt and absorbing the radiant heat emitted from the heating source; and

a reflecting member including

a reflecting part reflecting the radiant heat emitted to the supporting member from the heating source toward the heat conducting member, and

a regulating part unified with the reflecting part and coming into contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt to regulate looseness of the fixing belt.

2. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein

the heat conducting member is arranged so that one end part at an upstream side from the fixing nip in a rotating direction of the fixing belt is closer to the fixing nip than another end part at an downstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction,

the reflecting part is inclined so as to be gradually close to the fixing nip from the downstream side from the fixing nip to the upstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction.

3. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein

the regulating part is arranged at a downstream side from the fixing nip in a rotating direction of the fixing belt.

4. The fixing device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a pulling member pulling the regulating part to the downstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction.

5. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein

the heat conducting member has a storage space storing the heating source and the storage space has an opening part opened to a side of the fixing nip,

the reflecting part is arranged so as to cover the opening part.

6. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein

the heat conducting member includes:

a curved part curved to a side separating from the fixing nip in an arc-like shape and coming into contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt; and

bent parts bent from both end parts of the curved part to the internal diameter side.

7. The fixing device according to claim 6, wherein

both end parts of the reflecting part are respectively facing to the bent parts at distances.

8. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein

the nip forming member includes:

a pressing part fixed to the supporting member; and

a slide contact part made of a low friction material and interposed between the pressing part and fixing belt.

9. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein

the reflecting member includes a folded part folded from an end part at a side of the fixing nip of the regulating part to the internal diameter side.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a fixing device,

wherein the fixing device includes;

a fixing belt arranged rotatably;

a pressuring member arranged outside the fixing belt to come into pressure contact with the fixing belt so as to form a fixing nip;

a nip forming member arranged inside the fixing belt to press the fixing belt to a side of the pressuring member;

a supporting member supporting the nip forming member;

a heating source arranged inside the fixing belt to emit radiant heat;

a heat conducting member coming into contact with an inner circumference face of the fixing belt and absorbing the radiant heat emitted from the heating source; and

a reflecting member including

a reflecting part reflecting the radiant heat emitted to the supporting member from the heating source toward the heat conducting member, and

a regulating part unified with the reflecting part and coming into contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt to regulate looseness of the fixing belt.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the heat conducting member is arranged so that one end part at an upstream side from the fixing nip in a rotating direction of the fixing belt is closer to the fixing nip than another end part at an downstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction,

the reflecting part is inclined so as to be gradually close to the fixing nip from the downstream side from the fixing nip to the upstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the regulating part is arranged at a downstream side from the fixing nip in a rotating direction of the fixing belt.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the fixing device further includes:

a pulling member pulling the regulating part to the downstream side from the fixing nip in the rotating direction.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the heat conducting member has a storage space storing the heating source and the storage space has an opening part opened to a side of the fixing nip,

the reflecting part is arranged so as to cover the opening part.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the heat conducting member includes:

a curved part curved to a side separating from the fixing nip in an arc-like shape and coming into contact with the inner circumference face of the fixing belt; and

bent parts bent from both end parts of the curved part to the internal diameter side.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

both end parts of the reflecting part are respectively facing to the bent parts at distances.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the nip forming member includes:

a pressing part fixed to the supporting member; and

a slide contact part made of a low friction material and interposed between the pressing part and fixing belt.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the reflecting member includes a folded part folded from an end part at a side of the fixing nip of the regulating part to the internal diameter side.