Fixing device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a fixing device that has a temperature detection element and a temperature transducer arranged at appropriate positions and can quickly detect an abnormal increase in temperature.SOLUTION: A fixing device 1 comprises: a rotatable endless fixing member 20; a pressure member 30 that is in contact with the fixing member 20 from its outer peripheral side to form a fixing nip N; and a heating member 50 having a plurality of resistance heating elements 51 disposed along a longitudinal direction of a substrate 52 and electrically connected in parallel to each other, and the fixing device sandwiches and conveys a recording medium S carrying developer at the fixing nip N to fix the developer to the recording medium S. The heating member 50 includes a temperature detection element 41 and a temperature transducer 42 that detect the temperature of the resistance heating elements 51. The temperature of the resistance heating elements 51 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection element 41, and supply of power to the resistance heating elements 51 is cut off based on the temperature detected by the temperature transducer 42. The temperature transducer 42 is arranged on the downstream side of the temperature detection element 41 in a conveyance direction D of the recording medium S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Known fixing devices used in image forming devices such as copiers, printers, facsimiles, and combination machines thereof include devices in which a recording medium such as paper or an OHP is passed through a fixing nip formed by contact between a fixing member heated by a heating member (heater) and an opposing pressure member, and a toner image on the recording medium is fixed by heat and pressure.

[0003] There are various types of fixing devices known, one of which is a type that heats a fixing member with low heat capacity (such as a thin fixing belt) with a plate-shaped heater (hereinafter also referred to as a "planar heating element") that is composed of a base material and a resistance heating element. For example, the planar heating element may be configured such that a plurality of resistance heating elements are disposed on a base material that is arranged in the width direction of the fixing member, and these resistance heating elements are electrically connected in parallel.

[0004] In the fixing device, abnormal temperature rise is prevented and the fixing member is controlled to reach a target temperature (fixing temperature). To perform such control, a temperature detection element (thermistor, etc.) for temperature control and a temperature sensor (thermostat, etc.) as a safety device are arranged on the planar heater (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] The fixing device in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a pressure roller with a small diameter to reduce the size of the device or the heat capacity, and discloses a configuration in which the end of the planar heating element protrudes upstream of the fixing nip due to the narrowing of the fixing nip. In other words, since the center of the planar heating element is shifted upstream from the center of rotation of the pressure roller, there is a problem that the temperature rise becomes large on the upstream side where the amount of heat transfer to the pressure member via the fixing nip is reduced, and unintended operation (power interruption) by the temperature-sensing element is likely to occur. In order to prevent unintended operation of the temperature-sensing element, it is necessary to control the temperature of the planar heater during normal use to be equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. On the other hand, there is a problem that the fixability and glossiness of the output image are reduced by controlling the temperature of the fixing member to be low.

[0006] To address this issue, Patent Document 1 proposes a configuration in which a temperature detection element is disposed at the center of a planar heating element in the recording medium transport direction or upstream of the center, and a temperature sensing element is disposed downstream of the center of the heating element in the recording medium transport direction. It is described that this makes it possible to control the fixing member at a high temperature, supply more heat to the toner image, and improve the fixability and gloss of the output image. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In a planar heater in which multiple resistance heating elements are arranged in the longitudinal direction, it is necessary to arrange the temperature detection element and the temperature sensing element so that the temperature of each resistance heating element can be controlled. In this case, since the length of each resistance heating element is short in the longitudinal direction, the temperature detection element and the temperature sensing element need to be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of each resistance heating element, i.e., along the recording medium transport direction.

[0008] In a configuration in which the temperature-sensing element is provided downstream of the center of the planar heating element in the conveying direction of the recording medium as in Patent Document 1, it may be difficult to quickly detect an abnormal temperature rise of the resistance heating element upstream. This problem becomes prominent in a fixing device in which the center of the planar heating element is not shifted upstream of the rotation center of the pressure roller.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing device in which a temperature detection element and a temperature sensing element are disposed at appropriate positions, and which is capable of quickly detecting an abnormal rise in temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the fixing device of the present invention includes a rotatable endless fixing member, a pressure member that contacts the outer periphery of the fixing member to form a fixing nip, and a heating member having a resistance heating element that is arranged along the longitudinal direction of a substrate and electrically connected in parallel to each other, and fixes the developer onto the recording medium by sandwiching and transporting the recording medium with the fixing nip, the heating member includes a temperature detection element and a temperature sensing element that detect the temperature of the resistance heating element, The temperature detection element and the temperature sensing element are provided on all of the plurality of resistance heating elements, The temperature of the resistive heating element is controlled based on the detected temperature of the temperature detection element, and the supply of power to the resistive heating element is cut off based on the detected temperature of the temperature sensing element, the temperature sensing element is arranged downstream of the temperature detection element in the transport direction of the recording medium, and the temperature detection element and the temperature sensing element are opposed in the short direction to the heating area of ​​the same resistive heating element in the longitudinal direction of the substrate. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fixing device in which a temperature detection element and a temperature sensing element are disposed at appropriate positions, and which is capable of quickly detecting an abnormal temperature rise. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a fixing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a heating member constituting a fixing device according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an arrangement of a temperature detection element and a temperature sensing element. [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are partial cross-sectional views of a fixing device, in which FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram of the temperature of a heating member, and FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram showing a comparative example of the arrangement of a temperature detection element and a temperature sensitive element. [Figure 6] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of a fixing device according to the present invention. [Figure 7]1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of a fixing device according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The fixing device and image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and may be modified, added, modified, deleted, or otherwise altered within the scope of what a person skilled in the art can conceive, and any embodiment is within the scope of the present invention as long as it achieves the functions and effects of the present invention.

[0014] In the following embodiments, the "recording medium" will be described as "paper", but the "recording medium" is not limited to paper (paper). The "recording medium" includes not only paper (paper) but also overhead projector sheets, fabrics, metal sheets, plastic films, and prepreg sheets in which carbon fibers are pre-impregnated with resin. Media to which developer or ink can be attached, recording paper, and recording sheets are all included in the "recording medium". In addition to plain paper, "paper" also includes cardboard, postcards, envelopes, thin paper, coated paper (coated paper, art paper, etc.), tracing paper, and the like. Furthermore, the term "image formation" used in the following description refers not only to the application of meaningful images such as characters or figures to a medium, but also to the application of meaningless images such as patterns to a medium.

[0015] [Image forming device] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the essential configuration of a laser printer as one embodiment of an image forming apparatus equipped with a fixing device according to the present invention, which will be described later, and illustrates the principle in a simplified manner. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment includes a paper feed unit 4, a pair of registration rollers 6, a photosensitive drum 8 as an image carrier, a transfer unit 10, and a fixing device 1.

[0016] The paper feed means 4 has a paper feed tray 14 in which recording media (paper) S are stored in a stacked state, and a paper feed roller 16 that separates and sends out the papers S stored in the paper feed tray 14 one by one, starting from the top one. The paper S sent out by the paper feed roller 16 is temporarily stopped by the pair of registration rollers 6, where any misalignment is corrected, and then the paper S is sent to the transfer site T by the pair of registration rollers 6 at a timing synchronized with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 8, that is, at a timing when the leading edge of the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 8 coincides with a predetermined position of the leading edge of the paper S in the transport direction.

[0017] Around the photosensitive drum 8, in the order of the rotational direction indicated by the arrow, there are arranged a charging roller 18 as a charging means, a mirror 28 constituting part of an exposure means (not shown), a developing means 22 equipped with a developing roller 22a, a transfer means 10, and a cleaning means 24 equipped with a cleaning blade 24a.

[0018] Between the charging roller 18 and the developing means 22, the exposure portion 26 on the photosensitive drum 8 is irradiated with exposure light Lb via a mirror 28, and is scanned. The image forming operation in the printer is carried out in the same manner as in the conventional printer. That is, when the photosensitive drum 8 starts to rotate, the surface of the photosensitive drum 8 is uniformly charged by the charging roller 18, and the exposure light Lb is irradiated onto the exposure section 26 based on the image information, and scanned to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image to be created. This electrostatic latent image is moved to the developing means 22 by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 8, where toner is supplied and the image is made visible, forming a toner image.

[0019] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 8 is transferred onto the sheet S which has entered the transfer region T at a predetermined timing by the application of a transfer bias by the transfer means 10. The paper S carrying the toner image is transported toward the fixing device 1, where the toner image is fixed, and then the paper S is discharged and stacked on a paper discharge tray (not shown).

[0020] Residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 8 without being transferred at the transfer site T reaches the cleaning means 24 as the photosensitive drum 8 rotates, and is scraped off and cleaned by the cleaning blade 24a as it passes through the cleaning means 24. Thereafter, the residual potential on the photosensitive drum 8 is removed by a charge removing means (not shown) to prepare for the next image forming process.

[0021] [Fixing device] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a fixing device to which the present invention is applied, and Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a heating member 50 which is a planar heating body provided in the fixing device according to the present invention.

[0022] The fixing device 1 according to the present invention comprises a rotatable endless fixing member (hereinafter also referred to as a "fixing belt") 20, a pressure member (hereinafter also referred to as a "pressure roller") 30 that contacts the outer periphery of the fixing member 20 to form a fixing nip N, and a heating member 50 having a plurality of resistance heating elements 51 arranged along the longitudinal direction of a substrate 52 and electrically connected in parallel to each other, and fixes the developer (toner) to the recording medium S by clamping and transporting the recording medium S carrying the developer in the fixing nip N. The heating member (hereinafter also referred to as "heater") 50 is equipped with a temperature detection element (hereinafter also referred to as "thermistor") 41 that detects the temperature of the resistive heating element 51, and a temperature sensing element (hereinafter also referred to as "thermostat") 42, and the temperature of the resistive heating element 51 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection element 41, and the supply of power to the resistive heating element 51 is cut off based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensing element 42, with the temperature sensing element 42 being positioned downstream of the temperature detection element 41 in the transport direction D of the recording medium S. In the drawing, the entrance side of the fixing nip N is indicated by Ni, and the exit side is indicated by No.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing device 1 is composed of a thin fixing belt 20 with low heat capacity and a pressure roller 30. The fixing belt 20 has a polyimide (PI) base having an outer diameter of 25 mm and a thickness of 40 to 120 μm. A release layer made of a fluorine-based resin such as PFA or PTFE and having a thickness of 5 to 50 μm is formed on the outermost surface of the fixing belt 20 to enhance durability and ensure releasability. An elastic layer made of rubber or the like and having a thickness of 50 to 500 μm may be provided between the base and the release layer. Furthermore, the substrate of the fixing belt 20 is not limited to polyimide, but may be a heat-resistant resin such as PEEK, or a metal substrate such as nickel (Ni) or SUS. The inner peripheral surface may be coated with polyimide, PTFE, or the like as a sliding layer.

[0024] The pressure roller 30 has an outer diameter of, for example, 25 mm, and is composed of a solid iron core 30a, an elastic layer 30b formed on the surface of the core 30a, and a release layer 30c formed on the outside of the elastic layer 30b. The elastic layer 30b is made of silicone rubber and has a thickness of, for example, 3.5 mm. In order to improve the releasability of the surface of the elastic layer 30b, it is desirable to form the release layer 30c made of a fluororesin layer having a thickness of, for example, about 40 μm. The pressure roller 30 is in pressure contact with the fixing belt 20 by a biasing means.

[0025] A stay 70 and a holder member (hereinafter also referred to as a "heater holder") 60 are disposed in the axial direction inside the fixing belt 20. The stay 70 is made of a metal channel material, and both ends thereof are supported by both side plates of the heating device. The stay 70 reliably receives the pressing force of the pressure roller 30 to stably form the fixing nip N.

[0026] The heater holder 60 is for holding the base material 52 of the heating member (hereinafter simply referred to as the "heater") 50, which is a planar heating body, and is supported by a stay 70. The heater holder 60 can be preferably formed of a heat-resistant resin with low thermal conductivity, such as LCP, which reduces heat transfer and enables the fixing belt 20 to be heated efficiently. The stay 70 is fixed to the frame of the fixing device 1 directly or via another member.

[0027] The heater holder 60 is preferably shaped to support only two points near both ends in the short side direction of the base material 52 in order to avoid contact with the resistance heating element 51. This further reduces the amount of heat flowing to the heater holder 60, and allows the fixing belt 20 to be heated efficiently.

[0028] The heater 50 has a plurality of resistive heating elements 51 electrically connected in parallel to each other as shown in Fig. 3. This embodiment can also be expressed as a resistive heating element 51 divided into a plurality of parts. In the example of FIG. 3, the heating resistor 51 is divided into four parts, but the number of parts is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. 3, the direction in which the recording medium S is transported when the heater 50 is disposed in the fixing device is indicated by D. The lower side in the figure is the upstream side in the transport direction D, that is, the entrance side Ni of the fixing nip N, and the upper side in the figure is the downstream side in the transport direction D, that is, the exit side No of the fixing nip N.

[0029] It is preferable that the resistance heating element 51 and the conductor (power supply line) 53 are covered with a thin insulating layer or the like. The insulating layer can be made of heat-resistant glass having a thickness of 75 μm, for example. The insulating layer insulates and protects the resistance heating element 51 and the conductor 53, and can maintain the sliding property with the fixing belt 20.

[0030] Low-cost materials such as aluminum and stainless steel are preferred for the substrate 52. The substrate 52 is not limited to being made of metal, and may be made of ceramics such as alumina and aluminum nitride, or non-metallic materials with excellent heat resistance and insulation such as glass and mica. In order to improve the uniform heating of the heating device and enhance image quality, the substrate 52 may be made of a material with high thermal conductivity such as copper, graphite, or graphene. In this embodiment, an alumina substrate with a short side width of 8 mm, a long side width of 270 mm, and a thickness of 1.0 mm is used.

[0031] The resistance heating element 51 can be formed, for example, by applying a paste prepared by mixing silver palladium (AgPd) and glass powder to the base material 52 by screen printing or the like, and then firing the base material 52. In this embodiment, the resistance value of the resistance heating element 51 is set to 80Ω at room temperature. The material of the resistance heating element 51 may be a resistance material such as a silver alloy (AgPt) or ruthenium oxide (RuO2) in addition to the above-mentioned materials.

[0032] Examples of materials for the conductor (power supply line) 52 and the electrode portion 54 include silver (Ag) and silver palladium (AgPd), etc. These materials can be applied by screen printing or the like to form the electrodes.

[0033] By adjusting the materials and thermal conductivities of the substrate 52 and the resistance heating element 51, the fixing nip N can be heated not only through the resistance heating element 51 but also through the substrate 52. For this reason, the substrate 52 is desirably made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum nitride.

[0034] To ensure insulation, gaps are formed between the resistance heating elements 51. If the gaps are too large, uneven fixing occurs due to a decrease in the amount of heat generated in the gaps. Conversely, if the gaps are too small, insulation is not possible and a short circuit occurs between the resistance heating elements 51. Therefore, the size of the gap is preferably 0.3 mm to 1 mm, and more preferably 0.4 mm to 0.7 mm. As described above, by heating the fixing nip N through the base material 52, uneven fixing caused by the gap between the resistance heating elements 51 can be suppressed.

[0035] The resistive heating element 51 can also be made of a material having PTC (positive temperature coefficient of resistance) characteristics. A material having this PTC characteristic has a characteristic that the resistance value increases (the current I decreases and the heater output decreases) when the temperature T increases. The temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) can be set to, for example, 1500 PPM (parts per million).

[0036] Because the voltage applied to the resistance heating element 51 is constant, the output of the resistance heating element 51 outside the width (paper width) of the recording medium that has been passed through is relatively lower, suppressing the temperature rise at the end portions. When the resistance heating elements 51 are electrically connected in series, the only way to suppress the temperature rise of the resistance heating elements outside the paper width during continuous printing is to slow down the printing speed. By electrically connecting the resistance heating elements 51 in parallel, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise in non-paper passing areas while maintaining the printing speed.

[0037] 3, a heater 50 of this embodiment has an inclined portion formed by an oblique notch at the end of a resistance heating element 51, and the inclined portion overlaps the inclined portion at the end of an adjacent resistance heating element 51. By overlapping the ends of the resistance heating elements 51 in this manner, the effect of a decrease in the amount of heat generated in the gaps between the resistance heating elements 51 can be suppressed. Furthermore, by arranging the electrode portion 54 on one side as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to save space in the longitudinal direction.

[0038] By arranging and connecting the resistance heating elements 51 as shown in Fig. 3, for example, when small-sized paper is passed through and the paper does not pass through both ends in the longitudinal direction, the heat is not taken away by the paper, so the two resistance heating elements 51 at both ends become hotter than the two resistance heating elements 51 in the center. This causes the resistance value of the two resistance heating elements 51 at both ends to increase, and the current flowing to both ends to decrease. This is because the voltage drop is equal in all heat generating parts due to the parallel circuit. The effect is that the heat generation amount of the two resistance heating elements 51 at both ends automatically decreases as the temperature increases.

[0039] Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the temperature detection element 41 and the temperature sensing element 42 in the heater 50. As in Fig. 3, the lower part of Fig. 4 is the upstream side in the transport direction D of the recording medium S, that is, the entrance side Ni of the fixing nip N, and the upper part of Fig. 4 is the downstream side in the transport direction D, that is, the exit side No of the fixing nip N.

[0040] In the heater 50 of this embodiment, it is preferable to provide a temperature detection element 41 for each resistance heating element 51 in order to detect individual defects (e.g., rupture) of the resistance heating elements 51 and temperature unevenness between the resistance heating elements 51, and also to provide a temperature sensing element 42 to ensure safety against control runaway such as abnormal temperature rise. The temperature detection element 41 is for temperature control, and the temperature sensing element 42 is for safety compensation. Since the length of each resistive heating element 51 is divided and shortened in the longitudinal direction, the temperature detection element 41 and the temperature sensing element 42 need to be arranged in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of each resistive heating element 51, i.e., along the recording medium transport direction D.

[0041] The heater 50 of this embodiment includes a power control means for supplying power to the resistance heating element 51. The power control means can be configured, for example, as a power control circuit, including an AC power supply, a control unit, a triac, and the like. These are connected in series between the electrode units 54. The temperatures detected by the temperature detection element 41 and the temperature sensing element 42 are input to the control unit, and the control unit can be configured to control the amount of power supplied to the electrode unit 54 by a triac based on the obtained temperature so that each resistive heating element 51 reaches a predetermined temperature. The control unit can be composed of a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, an I / O interface, and the like. When the recording medium S is passed through the fixing nip N, heat is dissipated (heat transfer) due to the paper passing through, so by controlling the amount of power supplied taking into account not only the temperature obtained by the temperature detection element 41 but also this heat dissipation, the temperature of the fixing belt 20 can be controlled to the desired temperature.

[0042] In this embodiment, the temperature sensitive element 42 is disposed downstream of the temperature detection element 41 in the transport direction D of the recording medium S. The reason will be explained with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. Figures 5 and 6 are partial cross-sectional views of an area including the fixing nip N of the fixing device 1 in Figure 2, where Figure 5(A) is an explanatory diagram of the temperature of the heating member, Figure 5(B) is an explanatory diagram showing a comparative example of the arrangement of a temperature detection element and a temperature sensing element, and Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a temperature detection element and a temperature sensing element in the fixing device 1 of the present invention. 5A, the dashed line indicates the positional relationship between the rotation center of the pressure roller 30 and the center 50a of the heater in the transport direction D of the recording medium S. The fixing device 1 of this embodiment has a configuration in which the center 50a of the heater is not shifted upstream from the rotation center of the pressure roller 30.

[0043] 5A, temperature unevenness occurs in the conveying direction D of the recording medium S in the fixing nip N. The temperature Tm2 of the recording medium S and the fixing belt 20 at the entrance side (Ni side) of the fixing nip N are lower than the respective temperatures Tm1 at the exit side (No side) of the fixing nip. The amount of heat escaping from the heater 50 is shown diagrammatically by arrows. The amount of heat escaping is greater on the inlet side (Ni side) of the fixing nip N, and the temperature of the heater 50 is accordingly lower.

[0044] FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram showing a comparative example of the arrangement. In the comparative example, the temperature sensitive element 42 is disposed upstream of the temperature detection element 41 in the transport direction D of the recording medium S. Since the temperature-sensing element 42, which is a safety compensation thermostat, is placed on the entrance side (Ni side) of the fixing nip N, which is relatively cold due to the temperature unevenness described above, it is unable to detect the temperature on the exit side (No side) of the fixing nip N, which is hot, resulting in a delay in detecting abnormal temperature increases. Temperature control based on the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 42, for example, determines whether or not a temperature set as a safe upper limit temperature has been exceeded, and if it is determined that the temperature has been exceeded, the power supply to the resistive heating element 51 is cut off. However, there is a problem in that this operation is not performed or is performed late.

[0045] 6, in the fixing device 1 according to the present invention, the temperature sensor 42 is disposed on the exit side (No side) of the fixing nip N, and the temperature detection element 41 is disposed on the entrance side (Ni side) of the fixing nip N. That is, by disposing the temperature sensor 42, which is a safety compensation thermostat, on the exit side (No side) of the fixing nip N, which has a relatively high temperature due to the above-mentioned temperature unevenness, the temperature of the exit side (No side) of the fixing nip N, which has a higher temperature, is detected, enabling rapid detection of an abnormal temperature rise. For temperature control, a determination is made as to whether or not the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 42 exceeds a temperature set as a safe upper limit temperature, and if it is determined that the temperature has been exceeded, the power supply to the resistive heating element 51 is cut off, and this operation is carried out quickly.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the fixing device 1 according to the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the temperature sensitive element 42 is disposed at the downstream end of the heating member (heater) 50 in the transport direction D of the recording medium S. Temperature unevenness that occurs in the heater 50 occurs when the temperature is higher at the exit side (No) of the fixing nip N as shown in FIG. 5(A). Therefore, by placing a temperature sensor 42, which serves as a safety compensation thermostat, in the area of ​​the heater 50 that becomes the hottest, it becomes possible to detect abnormal temperature increases more quickly.

[0047] According to the fixing device 1 of this embodiment, the temperature detection element 41 and the temperature sensing element 42 are arranged in appropriate positions for the plate-shaped heater 50, which causes temperature unevenness during image formation, so that abnormal temperature rise of the heater 50 can be quickly detected and safety can be ensured. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Fixing device 20 Fixing member (fixing belt) 30 Pressure member (pressure roller) 30a Core metal 30b Elastic layer 30c release layer 41 Temperature detection element (thermistor) 42 Thermosensor (thermostat) 50 Heating member 51 Resistance heating element 52 Heater substrate 53 Conductor 54 Electrode section 60 Holder parts (heater holder) 70 Stay D Recording medium transport direction N Fixing nip Ni fixing nip inlet No Fixing nip exit S Recording medium [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0049] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6415188

Claims

1. a rotatable endless fixing member; a pressure member that contacts the fixing member from an outer circumferential side to form a fixing nip; a heating member having a plurality of resistance heating elements arranged along the longitudinal direction of the base material and electrically connected in parallel to each other; A fixing device that fixes a developer onto a recording medium by nipping and conveying the recording medium with the fixing nip, The heating member includes a temperature detection element and a temperature sensing element for detecting the temperature of the resistance heating element, The temperature detection element and the temperature sensing element are provided on all of the plurality of resistance heating elements, The temperature of the resistance heating element is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection element, and the supply of power to the resistance heating element is cut off based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensing element, the temperature sensing element is disposed downstream of the temperature detection element in a conveying direction of the recording medium, a heat generating element that generates heat from the heat source and a heat generating region that generates heat from the heat source and the heat detecting element;

2. 2. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-sensing element is disposed on an exit side of the fixing nip and the temperature-detecting element is disposed on an entrance side of the fixing nip in a conveying direction of the recording medium.

3. 3. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-sensing element is disposed at a downstream end of the heating member in a conveying direction of the recording medium.

4. 4. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the resistance heating element is made of a resistance material having a positive resistance-temperature characteristic.

5. 5. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of resistance heating elements overlap each other in the longitudinal direction of the base material.

6. 6. The fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising a holder member for holding the heating member extending in a longitudinal direction.

7. 7. An image forming apparatus comprising the fixing device according to claim 1.

Images