Heater Sheet Routing in Image Heating Apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image heating apparatuses face issues with damage to flexible sheets and films during assembly due to contact and increased size when trying to prevent contact between flexible wiring and the driving unit, leading to potential damage and size increments.
Innovation Solution
The image heating apparatus design includes a flexible sheet configuration where one part extends orthogonally to the heater's longitudinal direction to avoid contact with the driving gear, while another part aligns with the heater's direction for insertion, preventing damage and maintaining apparatus size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the flexible sheet is extended from the electric contact at the heater end to the control substrate in a direction same as the longitudinal direction of the heater, then electric wire routing can be easily carried out, but the size of the fixing apparatus increases in the longitudinal direction of the heater
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sheet is extended in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the heater, changing the routing dimension from longitudinal to lateral. This allows electric wire routing to be achieved without increasing the longitudinal size of the fixing apparatus, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and apparatus size.
2Length of stationary object
If the flexible sheet and driving unit are positioned close to each other, then the size of the apparatus is reduced, but the flexible sheet and driving unit may contact each other causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
By extending the flexible sheet in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the heater, the sheet is routed away from the driving unit's rotation path. This spatial reconfiguration in a different dimension prevents contact between the flexible sheet and driving unit while maintaining compact apparatus size.
3Ease of manufacture
If support component or heater connected with flexible sheet is inserted into cylindrical film, then assembly is completed, but inside of film and flexible sheet may come into contact and be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sheet is extended in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the heater before insertion into the cylindrical film. This preliminary configuration ensures that the flexible sheet is positioned away from the film's inner surface, preventing contact and damage during the assembly insertion process.
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 configuration effectively prevents damage to the flexible sheet and film without increasing the apparatus size, ensuring reliable assembly and operation of the image heating apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a heater which has a ceramic substrate having a heat-generating resistor thereon
Implementation Method 2
a thermistor as a temperature detecting element is formed on the substrate for each of the heat-generating regions, and a temperature is detected for each of the heat-generating regions
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An image heating apparatus includes a first rotating member, a second rotating member to form a nip portion which sandwiches a recording material between the first rotating member and the second rotating member, a heater unit provided inside the first rotating member and having a heater for heating an image on the recording material at the nip portion, and a sheet member provided to overlap a part of the heater and electrically connected to the heater. The sheet member includes a first sheet member connected to one end of the heater in a longitudinal direction of the heater and a second sheet member connected to the other end of the heater, the first sheet member extends from the one end of the heater in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction, and the second sheet member extends from the other end of the heater in the longitudinal direction.