Fixing Apparatus Slide Member Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image forming apparatuses, the high frictional force between the fixing belt and the fixing pad can obstruct the rotation of the fixing belt, and accurate positioning of the slide member is required to reduce this friction, but existing methods face challenges in ensuring precise alignment and preventing fixing failures.
Innovation Solution
A fixing apparatus with a slide member that includes a groove portion with a bottom surface, a side surface, and a continuous portion, where the slide member is retained by a fixing pad with a groove that contacts the inner circumference of the fixing belt downstream from the fixing nip portion, and the slide member abuts against the side surface at a position downstream from its edge, ensuring accurate positioning and reduced friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a slide member with projected portions is used to reduce friction between the fixing belt and pad, then frictional force is reduced, but positioning accuracy of the slide member becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
A positioning protrusion is introduced as an intermediary element between the slide member and fixing pad. The positioning protrusion fits into a corresponding groove on the fixing pad, serving as a mediator that enables precise positioning without requiring high-precision manufacturing of the entire slide member assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing pad is segmented into multiple functional regions: a positioning portion with a groove for accurate alignment, a retaining portion with a through hole for securing the slide member, and a friction reduction portion. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function independently, improving overall positioning accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If the slide member is fixed to the pad with high positioning accuracy, then alignment is improved, but the complexity of the fixing structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning protrusion and retaining through hole are merged into a single integrated structure on the fixing pad. This combination achieves both positioning and retention functions through one component, reducing the overall number of parts and simplifying the fixing structure while maintaining high alignment accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning protrusion on the slide member automatically engages with the groove on the fixing pad during assembly, enabling self-positioning without requiring additional alignment tools or complex fixing mechanisms. The structure itself provides the means for accurate positioning.
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 configuration effectively reduces frictional forces between the fixing belt and pad, preventing rotation obstruction and ensuring accurate alignment, thereby enhancing the reliability of the fixing process and preventing fixing failures.
Implementation Method 1
a slide member that slides against a fixing belt to reduce the frictional force between the fixing belt and the fixing pad
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing apparatus includes a fixing belt, a slide member, an opposing member, and a retaining member. The retaining member includes, in a groove portion, a bottom surface portion that is in contact with an opposite surface of the slide member from a slide surface, a side surface portion that is formed on a downstream side of the groove portion in a conveyance direction and intersecting the bottom surface portion, and a continuous portion that is formed between the bottom surface portion and the side surface portion. The slide member includes an abutment portion configured to abut against the side surface portion at a position downstream from a downstream edge of the opposite surface when the slide member is slidden against the fixing belt such that the downstream edge of the opposite surface is positioned upstream from the continuous portion in the conveyance direction.