Heater and method of forming a heater
View Patent ↗A heater includes a heater unit and a holder. The heater unit includes a flat and smooth substrate, a linear heat generator provided on a first surface of the substrate, a plurality of electrodes that supply power to the heat generator, and a protective layer disposed to cover a part of each of the electrodes and the heat generator. A second surface of the substrate is bonded to the holder. The substrate is formed of a transparent material. A plurality of positioning marks for determining the relative positions of the heater unit and the holder are disposed on the first surface of the substrate. The holder has through-holes formed at positions opposite to the positioning marks.
1. A heater comprising:
a heater unit including a flat and smooth substrate, a linear heat generator provided on a first surface of the substrate, a plurality of electrodes configured to supply power to the heat generator, and a protective layer disposed to cover a part of each of the electrodes and the heat generator; and
a holder, a second surface of the substrate being bonded to the holder, the holder being attached to an external device,
wherein the substrate is formed of a transparent material, a plurality of positioning marks for determining relative positions of the heater unit and the holder are disposed on the first surface, and the holder has through-holes formed at positions opposite to the positioning marks.
2. The heater according to claim 1 , wherein the holder has reference portions used as references for attachment to the external device.
3. The heater according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning marks are disposed between the protective layer and the substrate.
4. The heater according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning marks each include a first positioning mark corresponding to the position of the heat generator and a second positioning mark corresponding to the positions of the electrodes.
5. The heater according to claim 1 , wherein the protective layer contains glass particles.
6. The heater according to claim 1 , wherein the external device comprises a toner fixing device.
7. A method of forming a heater comprising:
providing a heater unit including a flat and smooth substrate made of a transparent material;
providing a linear heat generator on a first surface of the substrate;
providing a plurality of electrodes configured to supply power to the heat generator;
forming a protective layer so as to cover a part of each of the electrodes and the heat generator;
providing a holder and bonding a second surface of the substrate to the holder;
attaching the holder to an external device;
forming a plurality of positioning marks for determining relative positions of the heater unit and the holder on the first surface; and
forming through-holes in the holder at positions opposite to the positioning marks.
8. The method according to claim 7 , comprising:
forming reference portions on the holder; and
using the reference portions as references for attachment to the external device.
9. The method according to claim 7 , comprising:
positioning marks between the protective layer and the substrate.
10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the positioning marks each include a first positioning mark corresponding to the position of the heat generator and a second positioning mark corresponding to the positions of the electrodes.
11. The method according to claim 10 , comprising:
forming the first positioning marks in the same step as the heat generator; and
forming the second positioning marks in the same step as the electrodes.
12. The method according to claim 7 , comprising:
forming the protective layer by screen printing.
13. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the protective layer contains glass particles.
14. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the external device comprises a toner fixing device.