Airflow Suppressing Member in Fixing Roller Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in reducing the number of ultrafine particles of parting wax discharged outside, which leads to image loss and contamination due to insufficient or excessive heating during the fixing process.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an airflow suppressing member in the gap region between the film and the pressing roller core metal, which reduces airflow and thereby minimizes the discharge of ultrafine particles by agglomerating them within the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the film temperature is excessively high, then melting of the toner is sufficient, but a viscosity of the toner is lowered, so that a part of the melted toner is peeled off from the recording material to contaminate the film surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an airflow suppressing member that changes the airflow parameters in the gap region, reducing air flow velocity and direction to prevent toner particles from being carried onto the film surface, thereby resolving the contamination issue while maintaining high temperature fixing
2Shape
If a gap is created between the film and the core metal protruded from the elastic layer and the parting layer of the pressing roller, then protrusion of the pressing roller from an end surface of the film is prevented, but airflow is generated in the fixing device when the recording material is fed, thus strengthen the action of pushing out the air in the fixing device together with the recording material to an outside of the printer
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow suppressing member acts as an intermediary element in the gap region, mediating between the necessary gap structure and the harmful airflow. It blocks and redirects airflow to prevent ultrafine particles from being discharged outside while maintaining the structural benefits of the gap
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the number of ultrafine particles discharged outside is reduced, then image loss and contamination are prevented, but the particles must be maintained within the apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the airflow control function from the overall fixing device structure by introducing a dedicated airflow suppressing member. This localized solution addresses the particle discharge problem without requiring complex system-wide modifications, achieving effective particle containment with minimal added complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively decreases the number of ultrafine particles discharged outside, enhancing the fixing process by maintaining the particles within the apparatus, thus preventing image loss and contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a heater including a ceramic substrate and a heat generating resistor formed on the substrate
Implementation Method 2
the parting wax contained in the toner image is liquefied by simultaneous heating and pressing
Implementation Method 3
a part of the parting wax is vaporized to be placed in a vaporized state. The vaporized component of the parting wax floats in the air in the fixing device in the form of airborne small diameter particles
Implementation Method 4
airflow is generated in the fixing device when the recording material is fed, thus strengthen the action of pushing out the air in the fixing device together with the recording material to an outside of the printer
Implementation Method 5
an airflow suppressing member in the gap region between the film and the pressing roller core metal, which reduces airflow and thereby minimizes the discharge of ultrafine particles by agglomerating them within the device
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(c)
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion; and a fixing portion. The fixing portion includes a cylindrical film, a nip-forming member and a roller including a shaft portion and an elastic layer. The elastic layer contacts an outer surface of the film except an end region of the film with respect to a generatrix direction. In the end region, the shaft portion and the outer surface of the film oppose each other with a spatial region with respect to a radial direction of the shaft portion. The image forming apparatus includes a spacer occupying at least a part of the spatial region.