Fusing Belt Support Unit for Stable Nip Area and Fast Warm-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional belt type fusing devices face challenges in achieving speedy warm-up and stable image fixing due to limited pressing force and heat deformation issues, which affect the width of the nip area and pressure, leading to potential image fixation failures.
Innovation Solution
A fusing device design featuring a pressing unit, a rotating belt unit, a nip forming unit that collects radiation heat, and a support unit with an insulating member to prevent heat transfer, allowing for efficient heat distribution and maintaining a stable nip area, thereby enhancing warm-up speed and image fixability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heating member with high heat capacity is used to heat the whole area of the pressing roller, then stable heating is achieved, but warm-up time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating member is divided into multiple independent heating sections (first heating section and second heating section) that can be controlled separately. This segmentation allows selective heating of only the necessary nip areas, reducing the total heat capacity required while maintaining stable heating at the critical fixation zones.
Solution Approach 2:
Heating is concentrated at the nip areas where the pressing roller contacts the belt unit, rather than heating the entire pressing roller surface. This local heating approach uses a heating member with lower heat capacity that only heats the essential regions, achieving fast warm-up while maintaining stable temperature at the fixation zones.
2Force
If pressing force is increased in the nip areas, then image fixation quality improves, but the heating member may be damaged by pressure and heat deformation
Solution Approach 1:
A support unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the pressing roller and the heating member. This support unit bears the pressing force, allowing high pressing force to be applied in the nip areas for good image fixation while protecting the heating member from direct pressure and heat deformation damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The support unit is positioned in advance to provide structural support to the heating member before the pressing operation begins. This pre-positioned support prevents the heating member from undergoing excessive deformation under pressure and heat, ensuring its durability throughout the fusing process.
3Loss of time
If the heating member is housed at the nip areas, then local heating with faster warm-up is achieved, but pressing force is limited by the heating member's endurance
Solution Approach 1:
The support unit acts as a mediator that decouples the relationship between the heating member and the pressing force requirement. It allows the heating member to be positioned at the nip areas for fast local heating while independently providing the necessary structural support to enable high pressing force without damaging the heating member.
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 enables faster warm-up times, increased nip area width, and improved image fixing performance by distributing heat efficiently and maintaining consistent pressure, ensuring stable and effective image fixation.
Implementation Method 1
a heating member formed on the guide member to heat a nip area (N) created on the fusing belt 40
Implementation Method 2
an insulating member disposed between the nip forming unit and the support unit to prevent transfer of the heat from the nip forming unit to the support unit
Data Source
AI summary
A fusing device includes a rotatable pressing roller, a fusing belt to rotate by a rotational force transmitted from the rotatable pressing roller, a nip forming member to contact an inner surface of the fusing belt to form a nip on a contact area between the rotatable pressing roller and the fusing belt, a heating member formed in approximately an internal central portion of the fusing belt to heat the nip forming member and the fusing belt, an inner support member formed within the fusing belt to press a nip part of the nip forming member toward the rotatable pressing roller, and an outer support member formed outside the fusing belt, and both ends of the outer support member being engaged with the inner support member to thereby reinforce the strength of the inner support member and form a path for radiation heat to disperse. The support unit includes an inner support member placed within the belt unit, and an outer support member placed outside the belt unit, both ends of the outer support member being engaged with the inner support member to reinforce the strength of the inner support member and to form a path for a radiation heat to disperse.