Fuser Belt Fixing Device With Lubricant Sheet For Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fixing devices for electrophotographic image forming apparatuses face challenges such as wear and tear due to frictional contact between the heat-resistant film and the ceramic heater, leading to increased frictional resistance and thermal instability, which affects the fusing performance, especially in high-speed applications.
Innovation Solution
A fixing device with a tubular belt holder, a rotatable flexible fuser belt, a contact member, and a pressure member, where the belt holder is shaped to maintain uniform tension and contact with a laminated heat generator positioned upstream from the fixing nip, ensuring consistent heat transfer and reducing wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a film-based fuser assembly is used to reduce warm-up time and energy consumption, then processing speed and thermal efficiency are improved, but the heat-resistant film is vulnerable to wear and frictional contact with the ceramic heater
Solution Approach 1:
A lubricant sheet is introduced as an intermediary component between the fuser film and the ceramic heater. This lubricant sheet reduces direct frictional contact and wear between the two surfaces while allowing heat transfer to occur, thus maintaining the high productivity benefits of the film-based system while improving reliability and wear resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuser assembly uses a composite structure combining a heat-resistant film with a lubricant layer. The lubricant sheet is positioned between the fuser film and heater, creating a composite system that provides both thermal efficiency and wear protection, resolving the contradiction between processing speed and wear resistance.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the heat-resistant film is in direct contact with the ceramic heater, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but frictional resistance increases and thermal instability occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant sheet serves as a mediator that maintains thermal efficiency while reducing frictional resistance. It allows heat to transfer from the ceramic heater to the fuser film while preventing direct frictional contact that would cause thermal instability and wear, thus resolving the contradiction between thermal efficiency and thermal stability.
3Loss of time
If the fuser belt is heated swiftly with low heat capacity, then warm-up time is reduced, but the belt requires frequent replacement due to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricant sheet is positioned between the fuser film and ceramic heater to reduce frictional wear while maintaining the low heat capacity characteristics of the film-based system. This allows the system to achieve rapid warm-up times while extending the service life of the fuser belt by reducing wear during operation.
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
The solution provides improved thermal stability and reduced wear, resulting in efficient and uniform heat distribution across the fixing nip, enhancing the fusing performance and reducing energy consumption while maintaining high-speed operation.
Implementation Method 1
The heater is disposed adjacent to the belt holder to heat directly or indirectly a circumferential portion of the fuser belt upstream from the fixing nip
Implementation Method 2
The pressure member presses against the contact member through the fuser belt to form a fixing nip
Implementation Method 3
The frictionally contacting surfaces of the film and the heater readily chafe and abrade each other
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing device includes a tubular belt holder, a rotatable flexible fuser belt, a contact member, a pressure member, and a heater. The belt holder extends in an axial direction thereof. The fuser belt is looped around the belt holder extending in the axial direction. The contact member has a central axis thereof extending in the axial direction, accommodated in the belt holder. The pressure member has a central axis thereof extending in the axial direction, disposed opposite the belt holder with the fuser belt interposed between the contact member and the pressure member. The pressure member presses against the contact member through the fuser belt to form a fixing nip. The heater is disposed adjacent to the belt holder to heat a circumferential portion of the fuser belt. The belt holder includes a generally semi-cylindrical section to face the heated circumferential portion of the fuser belt.