Fuser unit heater support
View Patent ↗A support of a heater in a fuser, the support including: two parallel sides and a back side, the three sides forming a U shaped cross section, the cross section having a non-uniform wall thickness.
1. A support of a heater in a fuser, the support comprising:
two parallel sides and a back side, the three sides forming a U shaped cross section, the cross section having a non-uniform wall thickness in which the two parallel sides have a wall thickness along a majority of a length thereof that is greater than any wall thickness of the back side.
2. The support of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a steel.
3. The support of claim 1 , wherein a wall thickness of the back side is uniform along all of the back side of the support.
4. The support of claim 1 , wherein a volume between the two parallel sides is occupied by an insulating material.
5. The support of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the support is covered with a material having an emissivity of less than 20%.
6. The support of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises aluminum, titanium, a structural polymer or composite material.
7. The support of claim 1 , further comprising an insulator covering an outer surface of the support.
8. A support of a heater in a fuser, the support comprising:
two parallel sides and a back side, the three sides forming a U shaped cross section, the cross section having a non-uniform wall thickness; and
an opening in a side, the opening reducing a heat capacity of the support.
9. The support of claim 8 , wherein the opening is in the back side.
10. The support of claim 8 , wherein the opening is shaped as alphanumeric information.
11. A fuser, the fuser comprising:
a support having two substantially parallel sides extending away from a fusing nip, the two sides being arranged on opposite sides of a heater, the support comprising a first material as a substrate and a second material on a surface of the support, the second material having a lower emissivity than the first material, the second material disposed on an outer surface of the two sides away from the heater.
12. The support of claim 11 , wherein the two substantially parallel sides are connected by a back side, the back side perpendicular to the two substantially parallel sides.
13. The support of claim 12 , wherein the first material is steel and the second material is a plated metal coating.
14. The support of claim 13 , wherein the second material comprises nickel.
15. The support of claim 12 , wherein the second material a vapor deposited metal.
16. The support of claim 11 , further comprising an insulating material between an outside surface of the support and a fuser sleeve of the fuser.
17. The fuser of claim 11 , wherein the second material comprises a metal foil disposed on the substrate of the first material.
18. The fuser of claim 17 , further comprising an adhesive to secure the foil to the substrate of the first material.
19. A fuser comprising:
a fuser sleeve; and
a support within the fuser sleeve, the support comprising:
two substantially parallel sides extending away from a nip, and
a back side connecting the two substantially parallel sides, the three sides each comprising:
a substrate with a first emissivity, and
a surface with a second emissivity, wherein the first emissivity is greater than the second emissivity, and
wherein a wall thickness of the back side is less than a wall thickness of the two substantially parallel sides; and
an insulating material between an outside surface of the support and a fuser sleeve.
20. The fusing apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the substrate is steel, the surface is a plated nickel coating, and the plated nickel coating has an emissivity of less than 10%.