IP Library Granted Patent US 8,565,660
Granted Patent B2
US 8,565,660 · App. 13/028,641 · Granted Oct 22, 2013

Fixation device and image formation apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,565,660
App. No.
13/028,641
Granted
Oct 22, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fixation device includes: a rotation member provided to be rotatable; a conveyance member provided in contact with the rotation member and configured to convey media; and a first press member configured to press the conveyance member against the rotation member. The first press member includes, at an area in contact with the conveyance member, a slide part including convex surfaces, each of which is a part of a spherical surface.

Claims (58)

1. A fixation device comprising:

a rotation member provided to be rotatable;

a conveyance member provided in contact with the rotation member and configured to convey sheet media upon which developer images are fixed; and

a first press member configured to press the conveyance member against the rotation member, wherein the first press member includes:

a base;

an elastic layer provided on the conveyance member's side of the base; and

a surface layer coating the elastic layer and configured to be in slide-contact with the conveyance member, wherein the surface layer includes:

a base material portion; and

spherical particles provided on the conveyance member's side of the base material portion, wherein each of the spherical particles includes a first portion which is buried in the base material and a second portion which protrudes from the base material and is at least in partial contact with the conveyance member.

2. The fixation device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation member includes a heating element.

3. The fixation device according to claim 1 , further comprising

a second press member provided downstream of the first press member in the movement direction of the conveyance member and configured to press the conveyance member against the rotation member.

4. The fixation device according to claim 3 , wherein

the conveyance member is moved according to the rotation of the rotation member,

the second press member is rotated according to the rotation the rotation member.

5. The fixation device according to claim 1 , wherein the spherical particles comprise silicone beads.

6. The fixation device according to claim 5 , wherein

the surface layer has the thickness of not less than 20 μm and not more than 40 μm, and the silicone beads have the diameter of not less than 10 μm and not more than 20 μm.

7. The fixation device according to claim 1 , wherein

the base material portion includes silicone resin.

8. The fixation device according to claim 1 , wherein the base is made of metal material.

9. The fixation device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic layer is made of silicone rubber.

10. The fixation device according to claim 1 , further comprising

a bias member configured to bias the first press member toward the conveyance member.

11. The fixation device according to claim 1 , wherein

the conveyance member is an endless belt, and

the slide part is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt.

12. The fixation device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first press member includes:

a first region provided at a region corresponding to a center portion of the rotation member in the axial direction and configured to press the conveyance member against rotation member at a first pressing force; and

a second region provided at a region corresponding to each end of the rotation member in the axial direction and configured to press the conveyance member against the rotation member at a second pressing force less than the first pressing force, wherein

the amount of the particles in the first region is greater than the amount of the particles in the second region.

13. The fixation device according to claim 12 , wherein

the particles are provided in the first region while not being provided in the second region.

14. An image formation apparatus comprising:

a conveyance path along which a sheet media upon which developer images are fixed is conveyed;

an image carrier;

an exposure device configured to emit light onto a surface of the image carrier to form an electrostatic latent image;

a development device configured to supply a developer to the electrostatic latent image to form a developer image;

a transfer unit configured to transfer the developer image to the medium; and

the fixation device according to claim 1 configured to fix the transferred developer image to the medium.

15. A fixation device comprising:

a rotation member provided to be rotatable;

a conveyance member provided in contact with the rotation member and configured to convey sheet media upon which developer images are fixed; and

a first press member configured to press the conveyance member against the rotation member, the first press member including a surface layer configured to be in slide-contact with the conveyance member, the surface layer including:

a base material portion; and

particles provided on the conveyance member's side of the base material portion, wherein each of the spherical particles includes a first portion which is buried in the base material and a second portion which protrudes from the base material and is at least in partial contact with the conveyance member.

16. A fixation device comprising:

a rotation member provided to be rotatable;

a conveyance member provided in contact with the rotation member and configured to convey media; and

a first press member configured to press the conveyance member against the rotation member, wherein the first press member includes:

a base;

an elastic layer provided on the conveyance member's side of the base;

a surface layer coating the elastic layer and configured to be in slide-contact with the conveyance member, wherein the surface layer includes a base material portion and spherical particles provided on the conveyance member's side of the base material portion, wherein a part of each spherical particle is buried in the base material portion;

a first region provided at a region corresponding to a center portion of the rotation member in the axial direction and configured to press the conveyance member against rotation member at a first pressing force; and

a second region provided at a region corresponding to each end of the rotation member in the axial direction and configured to press the conveyance member against the rotation member at a second pressing force less than the first pressing force, wherein

the amount of the particles in the first region is greater than the amount of the particles in the second region.

17. The fixation device according to claim 16 , wherein the particles are provided in the first region while not being provided in the second region.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: OKI DATA CORPORATION
To: OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059365/0145 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2011
From: ARAKAWA, KOJIRO
To: OKI DATA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025818/0966 →