Fuser Heater Surface Evenness for Vibration Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuser heaters in image-forming devices, such as laser printers, suffer from vibration and noise issues due to stick-slip friction caused by uneven surfaces, which lead to premature wear and reduced image quality, as the lubricant migrates away from high-pressure areas and uneven surfaces exacerbate boundary layer lubrication.
Innovation Solution
The improved fuser heater features a base component with heating elements covered by a protective layer, where filler material is added to reduce surface unevenness to less than 10 μm, either by filling low points or chemically smoothing the surface, ensuring a more even contact with the belt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective covering layer is applied over heating elements, then the heating elements are protected and electrical insulation is improved, but surface unevenness increases causing vibration and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a filler material specifically in the low points or recesses of the covering layer surface, rather than uniformly across the entire surface. This local application fills the uneven areas caused by protruding heating elements while maintaining the protective function of the covering layer, thereby reducing surface unevenness and associated vibration/noise issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The filler material is applied during the manufacturing process before the covering layer is installed in the fuser assembly. This preliminary action ensures that the surface unevenness is corrected in advance, preventing vibration and noise issues from developing during operation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If lubrication is applied between heater and belt, then vibration and noise are reduced, but lubricant migrates away from high-pressure areas over time
Solution Approach 1:
The surface unevenness is corrected during manufacturing by filling low points with filler material. This preliminary action ensures that when lubrication is applied during operation, it can be retained effectively in high-pressure areas without migrating away, as the lubricant has proper retention surfaces to adhere to.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of surface unevenness (which causes lubricant migration) into a beneficial structure by using filler material to create a substantially even surface. This even surface allows lubrication to be retained effectively, transforming the original problem into a solution for lubricant retention.
3Power
If heating elements protrude from the base surface, then heating function is improved, but surface unevenness increases causing boundary layer lubrication issues
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements are designed to protrude locally from the base surface to provide effective heating, while filler material is applied locally in the recesses to compensate for this protrusion. This creates a balanced structure where heating functionality is maintained while surface evenness is restored to prevent boundary layer lubrication issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the covering layer surface by introducing filler material that fills recesses and creates a substantially even surface. This parameter change in surface morphology eliminates the protruding features that cause boundary layer lubrication and stick-slip friction, while the heating elements remain functional through their embedded configuration.
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 significantly reduces vibration and noise, extends the lifespan of the fuser belt, and maintains consistent image quality by ensuring a smooth, even surface contact between the heater and the belt, thereby improving the overall performance of the fuser assembly.
Implementation Method 1
Heat from the fuser melts the toner particles
Implementation Method 2
While lubrication between the heater and belt can reduce the vibration and noise
Data Source
AI summary
An image-forming device includes a belt based fuser for fixing an image to a media substrate. The fuser includes a heater having a base component with at least one heating element disposed thereon. The heater further includes a covering layer covering the at least one heating element providing a substantially even surface to abut a belt. Unevenness, which may be present on the substantially even surface, has a height, defined by a base and a peak, of less than about 10 μm. A process for producing the heater is also disclosed. The process includes disposing one or more heating elements on a base component of the heater, covering the heating elements of the fuser heater with a covering layer and providing a substantially even outer surface to abut a fuser belt.