Fusing Apparatus Asymmetric Pressing Member for Low Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fusing apparatuses face challenges in reducing power consumption, as setting the fusing temperature low results in insufficient heating due to uneven pressure distribution across the fusing nip, leading to fusing failures.
Innovation Solution
A fusing apparatus design featuring a rotating endless belt with a pressing member inside the belt and a roller outside, where the pressing member's surface includes a plane surface and a curved surface adjacent to it, with the upstream end of the plane surface positioned farther from the central axis than the downstream end, allowing for a gradual increase in pressure along the conveying direction, ensuring sufficient heating of the toner image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the fusing temperature is set low to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency improves, but insufficient heating occurs due to uneven pressure distribution leading to fusing failures
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member features a non-uniform pressure distribution with different pressing forces at different positions. The upstream end has lower pressing force while the downstream end has higher pressing force, creating localized quality variations that match the heating progression and ensure reliable fusing at low temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing member employs an asymmetric pressure distribution where the pressing force varies along the conveying direction. The upstream-side end portion has reduced pressing force compared to the downstream-side end portion, breaking the symmetry to optimize both low-temperature fusing and reliability
2Device complexity
If the pressing member has uniform pressure distribution, then the structure is simple, but heating is insufficient at the upstream end causing fusing failures
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using a complex multi-component system, the invention achieves local quality variation within the single pressing member by creating non-uniform pressure distribution, with the upstream end applying less force and the downstream end applying more force to ensure complete fusing
3Reliability
If the pressing force is increased uniformly across the fusing nip, then fusing reliability improves, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the pressure parameter distribution along the conveying direction, with the upstream end portion having lower pressing force and the downstream end portion having higher pressing force. This parameter variation allows reliable fusing while reducing overall power consumption compared to uniform high pressure
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing force is applied periodically with variation along the conveying direction, creating zones of different pressure intensity that match the progressive heating pattern, allowing effective fusing at reduced average power consumption
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 design enables effective reduction in power consumption by ensuring the toner image is sufficiently heated throughout the fusing process, preventing fusing failures even at lower temperatures, while maintaining image quality.
Implementation Method 1
a pressing member that is provided inside the belt and presses the belt from an inside of the belt
Implementation Method 2
a fusing apparatus that fuses a toner image on a storage medium by passing the storage medium through a fusing nip
Data Source
AI summary
A fusing apparatus includes: a rotating endless belt; a pressing member pressing the belt from an inside of the belt; and a roller forming the fusing nip between the roller and the belt by pressing, from an outside of the belt, a position where the belt faces the pressing member, wherein a surface of the pressing member facing the roller via the belt includes: plane surface, and a curved surface adjacent to the plane surface at a downstream-side end in a conveying direction of the storage medium of the plane surface, and when viewed from a cross-section orthogonal to a central axis of the roller, an upstream-side end of the conveying direction of the plane surface is away from a straight line passing through the central axis of the pressure roller and parallel to the conveying direction, farther than the downstream-side end in the conveying direction of the plane surface.