Fuser Elastic Pad Wall Structure for Wrinkle Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fusers with elastic pressure pads fail to uniformly regulate deformation at the downstream end surface, leading to uneven nip formation and wrinkles in sheets during the fusing process.

Innovation Solution

A fuser design incorporating a heater, a rotation body, an endless belt, and an elastic pad with a wall structure that includes specific contact and center portions to control deformation and nip formation, ensuring the sheet ends are nipped earlier than the center, preventing wrinkles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the downstream end surface of the pressure pad is exposed without regulation, then the pressure pad can accommodate production and installation errors, but the deformation of the downstream end surface is not regulated uniformly leading to uneven nip formation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetolerance to production and installation errorsVSAvoiduniformity of nip formation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure pad is designed with differentiated local properties: the upstream end edge has both ends positioned upstream of the center to provide early nip and wrinkle prevention, while the downstream end surface is exposed and regulated to accommodate production and installation errors. This local differentiation allows the pressure pad to simultaneously achieve uniform nip formation and tolerance to manufacturing variations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The pressure pad is segmented into functionally distinct regions: the upstream end edge portion that provides early nip formation for wrinkle prevention, and the downstream end surface portion that is exposed and regulated to accommodate production and installation errors. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If both ends of the pressure pad are positioned upstream of the center, then sheet ends are nipped earlier to smooth wrinkles, but the downstream end surface deformation is not regulated uniformly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewrinkles in sheetVSAvoiduniformity of deformation regulation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure pad employs local quality differentiation where the upstream end edge has both ends positioned upstream of the center to create early nip and smooth wrinkles, while the downstream end surface is designed to be exposed and regulated to accommodate production and installation errors, achieving both wrinkle prevention and uniform deformation regulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If the pressure pad uses a uniform structure, then manufacturing is simpler, but it cannot simultaneously achieve early nip at sheet ends and uniform deformation regulation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of pressure pad structureVSAvoidcontrol of nip formation timing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure pad uses local quality differentiation with the upstream end edge positioned to provide early nip for wrinkle prevention while the downstream end surface is exposed and regulated, achieving precise control of nip formation timing and uniform deformation regulation without excessive manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 controlled deformation and nip formation prevent wrinkles in sheets and maintain image quality by positioning nip start points upstream of the center, effectively addressing production and installation errors in the pressure pad.

Implementation Method 1

a heater, a rotation body configured to be heated by the heater

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

an elastic pad configured to be in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt and to form a nip portion with the endless belt

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS10372070B2Fuser including rotation body and endless belt

Publication Date: 2019.08.06 BROTHER KOGYO KK

AI summary

A fuser includes: a heater; a rotation body which is heated by the heater; an endless belt; an elastic pad which is in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt to form a nip portion with the endless belt intervening between the elastic pad and the rotation body; and a wall surrounded by the endless belt and disposed downstream of the elastic pad in a moving direction of the endless belt in the nip portion. The wall has a surface facing the elastic pad in the moving direction. The surface includes: contact portions positioned at both ends in a width direction of the endless belt and in contact with the elastic pad; and a center portion positioned between the contact portions in the width direction, at a downstream side of the contact portions in the moving direction.