Fixing Holder Slits for Uniform Belt Lubrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The deformation of a soft fixing belt in a wavy manner due to inclined grooves leads to uneven lubricant application, increased friction, and uneven pressure distribution, resulting in poor image quality with streaks in the fixed image.
Innovation Solution
A fixing device with a fixing belt and a holder, featuring slits on the sliding surface to guide lubricant movement and a hardness to prevent deformation, ensuring uniform lubrication and pressure distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If inclined grooves are formed on the sliding surface to transfer lubricant, then lubricant distribution is improved, but the fixing belt deforms in a wavy manner and falls into the grooves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the fixing belt harder specifically in the region corresponding to the inclined grooves. This localized hardness enhancement prevents the belt from deforming into the grooves while maintaining the lubricant transfer function. The hardness is increased in the axial direction at the portion corresponding to the inclined grooves, creating a local structural property that resists deformation without affecting the overall belt flexibility needed for other functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the fixing belt by increasing its hardness in specific regions. This parameter change allows the belt to maintain its shape and resist deformation when contacting the inclined grooves on the sliding surface, while still allowing lubricant to be transferred effectively. The hardness parameter is adjusted locally to balance the competing requirements of shape stability and lubricant distribution.
2Ease of operation
If the fixing belt is made softer to reduce friction, then ease of operation is improved, but the belt deforms and lubricant is not uniformly applied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions of different hardness within the fixing belt. The portion corresponding to the inclined grooves has increased hardness to prevent deformation and ensure uniform lubricant application, while other portions maintain softer characteristics for reduced friction and ease of operation. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction between softness for low friction and hardness for uniform lubricant distribution.
3Quantity of substance
If inclined grooves are formed to guide lubricant, then lubricant transfer is improved, but pressure distribution at the nip becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the fixing belt by increasing hardness in the region corresponding to the inclined grooves. This parameter change prevents belt deformation that would otherwise cause uneven pressure distribution at the nip. The hardened region maintains consistent geometric relationship with the inclined grooves, ensuring both effective lubricant transfer and uniform pressure distribution during the fixing process.
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
Prevents belt deformation, maintains smooth rotation, ensures uniform lubrication, stabilizes image fixing, and prevents belt damage, thereby improving image quality and reducing streaks.
Implementation Method 1
lubricant is applied between the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt and the sliding surface of the nip forming member
Implementation Method 2
heater for heating the fixing belt
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing device included a fixing belt, a pressing roller, and a holder. The fixing belt heats a toner on a medium. The pressing member forms a pressure region with the fixing belt and pressurizes the toner on the medium passing through the pressure region while rotating around an axis. The holder is provided inside the fixing belt, has a sliding surface coming into contact with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt via lubricant, and holds a heater for heating the fixing belt. A plurality of slits formed into a recess is formed on the sliding surface corresponding to a range excluding the pressure region, side by side in an axial direction. The slits guide a movement of the lubricant from an upstream to a downstream in a rotational direction of the fixing belt. The fixing belt has a hardness capable of restricting deformation such as falling into the slits.