Movable Belt Support Holder for Fixing Nip Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face issues with the stability and consistency of the fixing nip pressure in the fixing device, leading to variations in tension exerted on the endless belt, which can cause skew and breakage of the belt, affecting the quality and longevity of printed images.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a belt support holder that moves the heating roller and fixing pad together, maintaining a predetermined interval between them, and using a biasing assembly to ensure consistent tension and pressure, thereby stabilizing the fixing nip and preventing variations in tension that could lead to belt skew or breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional fixing device uses a fixed belt support structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the fixing nip pressure becomes unstable causing belt skew and breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The belt support holder is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position along the belt width direction. This dynamic structure enables the belt supports to self-align and maintain optimal positioning, ensuring stable fixing nip pressure while accommodating variations in belt tension and position during operation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the belt support holder is fixed in position, then the device complexity is reduced, but variations in tension cause belt skew and breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The belt support holder integrates multiple belt supports into a single movable unit that adjusts collectively. This merging approach ensures that all belt supports maintain consistent positioning relative to each other and the rotary driver, providing uniform tension distribution across the belt width and preventing localized stress concentrations that could lead to skew or breakage.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional fixing devices are used, then the initial manufacturing cost is lower, but the belt requires replacement every 105,000 sheets
Solution Approach 1:
The movable belt support holder system provides self-adjusting functionality that automatically compensates for belt wear and tension variations during operation. By continuously adapting to changing belt conditions, the system maintains optimal fixing performance throughout the belt's service life, extending its usable duration from 105,000 to 200,000 sheets before replacement is needed.
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 enhances the endurance of the fixing belt by preventing skew and breakage, allowing for continuous printing without issues up to 200,000 sheets, compared to 105,000 sheets with comparative devices, thus improving the reliability and lifespan of the image forming apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
A biasing assembly presses against the belt support holder to move the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support collectively with respect to the rotary driver and bias the opposed belt support against the rotary driver
Implementation Method 2
a fixing device applies heat and pressure to the recording medium bearing the toner image to fix the toner image on the recording medium
Data Source
AI summary
A belt device includes an endless belt and a rotary driver contacting an outer circumferential surface of the belt to drive and rotate the belt. An opposed belt support is disposed opposite the rotary driver and in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the belt. A rotary belt support is disposed opposite the rotary driver via the opposed belt support and in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the belt. A belt support holder holds the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support to retain a predetermined interval between the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support. A biasing assembly presses against the belt support holder to move the opposed belt support and the rotary belt support collectively with respect to the rotary driver and bias the opposed belt support against the rotary driver.