JP2917389B2 - Fixing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial application field) In the present invention, a recording material carrying a visible image to be heat-fixed (hereinafter, referred to as a toner image) is brought into close contact with a heating body via a film. The present invention relates to a film heating type fixing device that heats and fixes a toner image by applying heat energy from a heating body to a recording material via a film.

This device is suitable for image forming devices such as copiers, laser beam printers, facsimile machines, microfilm reader printers, image display (display) devices, and recorders. Direct or indirect (transfer) method to the surface of a recording material (electrofax sheet, electrostatic recording sheet, transfer material sheet, printing paper, etc.) as an image carrier using a toner composed of a heat-meltable resin by means The unfixed toner image corresponding to the target image information formed in step 2 can be used as an image fixer that heats and fixes the image as a permanent fixed image on the surface of the recording material carrying the image.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as a heating-type fixing device, an unfixed toner image is formed by a heating roller maintained at a predetermined temperature and a pressure roller having an elastic layer and pressing against the heating roller. A fixing device of a roller fixing type that heats the recording material while nipping and transporting the recording material is often used.

However, this heat roller fixing system fixing device
In addition, a time until the temperature is raised to a predetermined temperature (a time during which the image forming operation is prohibited), that is, a so-called waist time, is required. Second, since heat capacity is required, relatively large electric power is required. In the rotating roller, since the roller temperature is high, a heat-resistant special bearing is required. Fourth, the roller comes in direct contact with the hand, and there is a danger or a protective member is required. There were drawbacks such as the recording material wrapping around depending on the fixing temperature and the curvature, causing a jam.

Therefore, as a fixing device of the heating type which does not have the above-mentioned drawbacks, recently, the fixing device of the film heating type as described above has attracted attention, and research and development for practical use thereof have been promoted.

For example, a method and apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-313182 according to the applicant's earlier proposal belong to this, and include a thin heat-resistant film (sheet), a moving driving means for the film, and a film. A heating member fixedly supported and arranged on one side of the recording medium, and a recording material to be fixed on the other surface and opposed to the heating member and to be image-fixed to the heating member via the film. A pressurizing member for bringing the visible image bearing surface into close contact with the recording material to be image-fixed, which is transported and introduced between the film and the pressurizing member at least at the time of image fixing, at the same speed in the forward direction; The recording material is moved and passed through a fixing nip portion formed by pressing the heating element and the pressing member with the traveling moving film interposed therebetween, so that the visible image bearing surface of the recording material is moved by the heating element through the film. Heat energy to a visible image (unfixed toner image) Grant over and allowed softened and melted, and then separating the film and the recording material, or a heating means or apparatus which is based on the toner to separate the film and the recording material after cooling and solidifying.

The heating element has a low heat capacity in the form of a line or a narrow strip along the length of the film on the side of the film contacting surface of a horizontally long heat-resistant, insulating, low-heat-capacity heater substrate having a longitudinal direction in the width direction of the film. A type having a current-carrying heating resistor (heating element) is used, and power is supplied between both ends of the heating element, so that the heating element generates heat, and the heater substrate is also heated, so that the entire heating element is heated. The temperature rises rapidly, and the heat of the heating body is given to the recording material via the film.

The temperature control of the heating element is performed by a temperature sensor provided in the heating element, a microcomputer of the image forming apparatus main body, and a heating element driving (heat generation) circuit, and the temperature is controlled and controlled to a predetermined fixable temperature. Although the heating element is at a high temperature, at least when the heating element generates heat, the film is driven to move at a predetermined speed on the heating element. Is executed.

This type of film heating type fixing device is
It has features such as short time and is a fixing device that meets the needs of the times.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, as one of the problems, in this fixing device, a part of the toner of the unfixed image at the time of fixing is changed due to long-time use of the device, environment, material of recording paper, and the like. In some cases, development that causes transfer to the fixing film, that is, offset occurs.
When the offset occurs, the fixing film is gradually stained, and the toner is again offset on the surface of the recording material, resulting in a defective image, and the fixing film has a short life.

Therefore, in order to remove the offset toner on the fixing film, a method of cleaning the offset toner on the fixing film surface with a plate-like rubber blade, or a web method of impregnating the nonwoven fabric with silicone oil and pressing the fixing film against the fixing film to clean the toner. However, in any case, the cleaning member is pressed against the thin fixing film, so that the fixing film leans and wrinkles, causing some fixing failure, eventually wrinkles progress, and eventually the film is broken It can result in breakage.

Alternatively, a problem arises in that a permanent offset is caused on the fixing film and the image due to rubbing scratches on the release layer coated on the surface of the fixing film and partial peeling of the release layer.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by preventing toner offset from the fixing film surface for a long period of time with a simple and inexpensive means configuration, and aims to improve the durability and reliability of this type of fixing device. The purpose is to:

(Means for Solving the Problems) According to the present invention, there is provided a film that moves in contact with a recording material carrying an unfixed image, and a driving device that contacts the surface of the film opposite to the recording material side to drive the film. A fixing device for fixing a non-fixed image onto a recording material by heat from the film, comprising a member and a release agent supply member for contacting a surface of the film on the recording material side and supplying a release agent to the film. The fixing device is characterized in that the release agent supply member has a width smaller than that of the film and exists inside the film in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film.

(Function) The offset of the developer (toner) with respect to the film is reduced by applying the release agent to the film, and even if the offset occurs, the offset developer is released by the movement of the film. When it reaches the position of the supply member, it is removed from the film surface by the member, and a new release agent is applied and supplied to the film surface, so that the film surface is kept clean for a long time, and the offset to the film surface is maintained. It prevents the progress of stains due to the adhesion and accumulation of the developer, the deterioration of image quality due to the re-offset to the recording material surface, and the shortening of the life of the film.

The film surface coated with the release agent contacts the recording material surface,
The release agent may be applied to the film surface in a very small amount of a thin layer, so that the release agent hardly adheres to the recording material surface. Even if there is adhesion, since the amount is very small, the release agent does not stain on the recording material surface.

The width of the release agent supply member relative to the film surface is smaller than that of the film, and because the release agent is present inside the film, the release agent can be prevented from sneaking into the drive member side of the film and slipping between the film and the drive member. Can be prevented from occurring.

The release agent supply member is made of a rotating body, so that it does not apply an unreasonable load on the film and can prevent offset by stable oil application and cleaning without wrinkling of the film or peeling of the release layer on the film surface. Becomes

The coating release agent on the film surface reduces the friction between the film and the pressing member in the fixing nip portion, and when the film is likely to wrinkle or the like, there is also an effect that the film is wrinkled by a sliding effect.

Even if the recording material is jammed in the fixing nip portion, it is possible to perform cleaning without offsetting the pressing member or the like.

(Embodiment) (1) Example of fixing device I (FIGS. 1 to 3) a) Device configuration FIG. 1 is a side view of an example of a fixing device 50 according to the present invention, FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a layer structure of a fixing film.

Reference numeral 7 denotes an endless belt-shaped fixing film, which includes a left driving roller 8, a right driven roller 9, and a low heat capacity linear heating element 1 as a heating element disposed below the rollers 8.9. It is stretched and suspended between the three members 8.9.1.

The driven roller 9 is an endless belt-shaped fixing film 7.
The fixing film 7 has an unfixed toner image Ta conveyed from the image forming unit side at a predetermined peripheral speed in the clockwise direction accompanying the clockwise rotation of the driving roller 8. The recording material P is rotated at the same peripheral speed as the transport speed of the recording material P carried thereon without wrinkles, meandering, and speed delay.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a pressure roller having a rubber elastic layer 12 having good releasability such as silicon rubber as a pressure member, and the heating element 1 sandwiching the descending film portion of the endless belt-shaped fixing film 7 of the previous period. Is pressed against the lower surface of the recording material P by a biasing means (not shown) with a contact pressure of, for example, 4 to 7 kg, and rotates about the shaft 11 in a counterclockwise direction in the forward direction of the recording material P. .

The heating element 1 is a low-heat-capacity linear heating element whose longitudinal direction is the direction (width direction of the film) that intersects with the plane movement direction of the film 7, and includes a heater substrate 3, an energized heating resistor (heating element) 4,
It consists of a temperature measuring element 5 and the like, and is fixedly supported by being attached to and held by the heater support 2.

The heater support 2 has a heat insulating property, a high heat resistance and a rigidity for thermally supporting the heating element 1 with respect to the fixing device 50 and the image forming apparatus. For example, PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) is used.
・ PAI (polyamide imide) ・ PI (polyimide) ・ PEEK
(Polyetheretherketone), high heat-resistant resins such as liquid crystal polymers, and composite materials of these resins with ceramics, metals, glass, etc.

The heater substrate 3 is a member having heat resistance, insulation, and low heat capacity, and is, for example, an alumina substrate having a thickness of 1.0 mm, a width of 16 mm, and a length of 340 mm.

The heating element 4 is made of an electric resistance material such as Ag / Pd (silver palladium), Ta ₂ N, or the like and has a thickness of about 10 μm and a width substantially along the center of the lower surface of the substrate 3 (facing the film 7). 1-3m
m is coated by screen printing or the like, and heat-resistant glass 6 is coated thereon as a surface protective layer by about 10 μm.

As an example, the temperature measuring element 5 has a low heat capacity such as a Pt film which is provided by coating a substantially central portion of the upper surface of the substrate 3 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the heating element 4 is provided) by screen printing or the like. It is a resistor. Alternatively, a low-heat-capacity thermistor or the like may be arranged in contact with the substrate 3 as the temperature detecting element.

In the case of the heating element 1 of the present example, electricity is supplied to the linear or band-shaped heating element 4 from its longitudinal end, thereby causing the heating element 4 to generate heat over substantially the entire length. The energization is 100 V AC, and the energization power is controlled by controlling the phase angle to be energized by an energization control circuit (not shown) including a triac according to the temperature detected by the temperature detecting element 5.

The fixing film 7 has heat resistance, release property, durability, etc.
Generally, a single-layer or multi-layer film having a total thickness of 100 μm or less, preferably 40 μm or less can be used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a layer structure of an example of a composite layer film, and this example is a two-layer film. Reference numeral 7b denotes a heat-resistant layer as a base layer (base film) of the fixing film, and reference numeral 7a denotes a release layer laminated on the outer surface (the surface facing the toner image) of the heat-resistant layer 7b.

The heat-resistant layer 7b is made of a high heat-resistant resin film such as polyimide, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), polyparabanic acid (PPA), Ni / SUS / Al Metals having excellent strength and heat resistance, such as metals, can be used.

The release layer 7a is preferably made of, for example, a fluororesin such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PFA, FEP, or a silicone resin (PTFE in this example). The resistance value of the surface of the fixing film 7 can be reduced by, for example, mixing a conductive agent such as carbon black, graphite, or a conductive whisker into the release layer 7a. As a result, charging of the toner contact surface of the fixing film 7 can be prevented.

The release layer 7a is laminated on the heat-resistant layer 7b by adhesive lamination of the release layer film, lamination of the release layer material by a film forming technique such as electrostatic coating (coating), vapor deposition, CVD, etc., and the heat-resistant layer material and the release layer. It can be carried out by forming a two-layer film by co-extrusion of the material.

Reference numeral 13 denotes an oil application roller as a release agent supply member for applying and supplying a release agent to the fixing film 7. This roller will be described in detail in section c) below.

b) Fixing execution operation An image forming apparatus (not shown) in response to an image forming start signal
The recording material sheet P carrying an unfixed toner image Ta on the upper surface, which has been conveyed to the fixing device 50 by the image forming operation, is a guide.
The sheet P is guided by the roller 18 and enters a press-contact portion (fixing nip) between the heating element 1 and the pressure roller 10 between the fixing film 7 and the pressure roller 10 so that the unfixed toner image surface is conveyed at the sheet P conveying speed. The combustion body 1 and the pressure roller 10 in the state of being overlapped with the fixing film 7 in the same state as the fixing film 7 without causing surface misalignment, wrinkles, and deviation by being in close contact with the lower surface of the fixing film 7 rotated in the same direction at the same speed as that of FIG. It passes between the press contact portions while receiving the clamping pressure.

Since the heating element 1 is energized and heated at a predetermined timing by the image formation start signal, the toner image Ta is heated at the pressure contact portion and becomes a softened / fused image Tb.

The running direction of the fixing film 7 turns at a steep angle (the bending angle θ is approximately 45 °) at the edge portion S (the radius of curvature is approximately 2 mm) of the heater support 2 where the curvature is large. Accordingly, the sheet P conveyed through the pressure contact portion while overlapping the fixing film 7 is separated from the fixing film 7 at the edge portion S by a curvature, and is discharged to the discharge tray. By the time the sheet is discharged, the toner is sufficiently cooled and solidified, and is in a state of being completely fixed on the sheet P (toner image Tc).

Further, in this example, since the heat capacity of the heating element 4 and the substrate 3 of the heating element 1 is small and they are adiabatically supported by the support 2, the surface temperature of the heating element 1 at the pressure contact portion can be reduced in a short time. Since the temperature is raised to a sufficiently high temperature relative to the melting point (or the temperature at which fixing to the sheet P is possible), the temperature of the heating element 1 is raised in advance (so-called standby temperature control).
There is no need to save energy, and the temperature inside the machine can be prevented from rising.

c) Release Agent Supplying Member As described above, the unfixed toner image on the recording material sheet P introduced into the fixing device 50 is fixed to the fixing film and the pressure roller 10.
By passing through a fixing nip portion, which is a pressure contact portion between the heating member 1 and the sheet P, the sheet is heated by the heating element 4 of the heating element 1 via the fixing film 7, melted, and fixed on the sheet P. At this time, a part of the toner is slightly transferred to the surface of the fixing film 7 (toner offset). In the case of no treatment, the transferred toner contacts the sheet P again with the rotation of the film while being attached to the fixing film 7. Even a small amount of toner has a relatively strong adhesion to the film, so that a part of the toner is re-transferred to the sheet P (toner offset), and the other toner remains on the fixing film 7. Due to the toner offset / re-offset, the surface of the fixing film 7 is gradually stained, which causes the above-described problems of shortened life and reduced image quality.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the fixing film 7 is sandwiched between the fixing film driving roller 8 and the driving roller 8, and an oil application roller 13 as a release agent supply member is provided in pressure contact with the fixing film surface.

The oil application roller 13 has a rotating shaft 16 as a core metal, a silicon sponge layer 15 having a thickness t = 4 mm, for example, as an intermediate layer, that is, an elastic layer, and a thickness made of heat-resistant felt as a surface layer.
The heat resistant felt layer 14 is 1.5 mm in density and 0.3 g / cm ³ in density. The felt layer 14 is substantially uniformly impregnated with about 7 to 15 g of silicone oil having a viscosity of 10,000 cs as a release agent.

The oil application roller 13 is in parallel with the fixing film driving roller 8 and is pressed against the surface of the fixing film by a weight of 100 to 500 g by sandwiching the fixing film 7 between itself and the driving roller 8 by its own weight or by the pressing force of the pressing spring 17. Kept in state.
Silicon sponge layer as an intermediate elastic layer of this roller 13
Reference numeral 15 denotes a drive roller 8 in which the roller 13 sandwiches the fixing film 7.
It has elasticity to make a sufficient nip by pressing against.

When the oil application roller 13 is driven to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the fixing film 7, silicone oil as a release agent is applied and supplied to the surface of the fixing film, and a thin layer of oil is formed. The felt layer 14 for oil supply also has an oil supply effect, and no excessive oil is supplied to the surface of the fixing film 7, and an oil-applied thin layer having a substantially constant oil amount is always formed.

The unfixed toner image on the recording material sheet P introduced into the fixing device 50 is heated by the heating element 4 of the heating element 1 via the fixing film 7 having a thin layer of silicon oil formed on the surface at the fixing nip. It is melted and fixed on the sheet P surface. At that time, a small portion of the toner is transferred (offset) to the surface of the fixing film 7 on which a thin layer of oil is formed. The transferred toner adheres to the surface of the fixing film 7 and again passes through the fixing film 7 through the driving roller 8.
The fixing film 7 is moved to the position of the oil application roller 13 which is in pressure contact with
Oil application roller at the pressure contact portion between 13 and drive roller 8
13, the offset toner on the fixing film 7 surface is removed, the fixing film surface is cleaned, and a new thin oil layer is formed on the fixing film 7 surface.
The operation cycle of rotating and moving to the fixing nip portion is repeated.

By repeating the above operations, the surface of the fixing film 7 is kept clean for a long period of time, progress of contamination due to adhesion and accumulation of offset toner on the surface of the film 7, deterioration of image quality due to re-offset to the surface of the recording material, short life of the film Is prevented.

While the sheet P is passing through the fixing nip portion, the thin oil layer on the surface of the fixing film 7 contacts the surface of the sheet P. However, since the amount of oil is extremely small, it hardly adheres to the sheet P. Because of the small amount, there is no oil stain.

As shown in FIG. 2, the longitudinal width l ₂ of the oil supply of the oil applying roller 13 is smaller than the longitudinal width l ₁ of the fixing film 7, the oil applying roller 13 is present inside of the film 7 . That is, it is set so that l ₂ <l ₁ .

This in longer than the width l ₁ in the longitudinal direction of width l ₂ fixing film 7 of the oil supply of the oil applying roller 13, driving roller oil application roller 13 without passing through the fixing fill-7 in a region where the fixing film 7 is not present Oil adheres to the drive roller 8 due to direct contact with the roller 8 and the oil wraps around between the drive roller 8 and the fixing film 7 to reduce the driving force of the fixing film 7 and further cause slip. This is to prevent

On the other hand, the width l ₁ of the fixing film 7 in the longitudinal direction is made larger than the width l ₃ of the heating element 4 in the longitudinal direction. That is, the fixing film 7 is also a heat absorbing means, and if the film 7 is not located at the portion of the heating element 4, the heating element at that portion locally causes an abnormal rise in temperature, leading to destruction of the heating element 1. It is.

The width l ₄ of the pressing roller 10 in the longitudinal direction is equal to the fixing film 7.
Be shorter than the width l _{1 in} the longitudinal direction. This is because when there is a place where the pressure row 10 comes into contact with the heating element 1 without passing through the film 7, the contact portion of the heating element 1 gradually wears due to the rotational force of the pressure roller 10, and eventually the heating element 1 is broken. Because it is connected.

In this embodiment,. The oil application roller 13 serving as a releasing agent supplying member is rotated by the rotation of the fixing film 7 in accordance with the movement of the fixing film 7, so that an unreasonable load is not imposed on the fixing film 7, so that the film wrinkles or the release layer 7a. It is possible to prevent toner offset by stable oil application and cleaning without peeling off.

. Even if a jam such as a paper jam occurs in the fixing nip portion, cleaning can be performed without offsetting to the pressure roller 10 or the like.

. Since the oil application roller 13 does not contact the heating element 1, the fixing film 7 heated by the heating element 1 and the drive roller 8 stored through the fixing film receive heat only during the image forming operation to release the oil. As the impregnating oil as a swelling agent swells, excess oil does not come out and the oil application roller
13 life extension is possible.

. In the case of a configuration in which a cleaning blade or a web member is pressed against the surface of the film 7 to clean the surface of the film, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of wrinkles and wrinkles of the film, which are problems in the configuration.

. The application oil on the fixing film surface reduces the friction between the fixing film 7 and the pressure roller 10 in the fixing nip portion, and when the film is likely to be wrinkled, there is also an effect that the wrinkle is increased by a sliding effect.

. The oil application roller 13 serving as a release agent supply member with respect to the fixing film surface has a width l ₂ smaller than the width l _{1 of} the fixing film 7 and is present inside the fixing film 7, so that the release agent drives the fixing film 7. It is possible to prevent sneaking around the drive roller 8 side, which is a member, and prevent occurrence of slip between the fixing film 7 and the drive roller 8.

(2) Example of fixing device II (FIG. 4) In this example, the oil application roller 13 is placed on the surface of the fixing film by its own weight with the fixing film 7 interposed between the driven roller 9 and the fixing film driven roller 9 at the position. Alternatively, it is arranged so as to be kept in a press-contact state by a pressing force of 100 to 500 g by the pressing force of the pressing spring 17. Other configurations are the same as those of the fixing device example I described above, and have the same functions and effects.

(3) Fixing Device Example III (FIG. 5) In this embodiment, the oil application roller 13 is placed on the surface of the fixing film at a substantially intermediate point of the fixing film portion between the fixing film driving roller 8 and the driven roller 9. Or by maintaining the pressure contact with light pressure by the pressing force of the pressing spring 17. Other configurations are the same as those of the fixing device example I described above, and have the same operation and effect.

In the case of the present embodiment, there are also the following specific effects.

. By increasing the contact area (nip) between the fixing film 7 and the oil applying roller 13, the oil applying effect and the cleaning effect are improved.

. Even if the fixing film 7 elongates due to long-term use, the oil application roller 13 functions as a tension roller and the elongation is absorbed by the tension effect.

With such an effect, the life of the fixing film can be further extended.

(4) Example of Image Device (FIG. 6) FIG. 6 shows the fixing device 50 of the example of FIG. 1 (fixing device example I).
1 shows a schematic configuration of an example of an image forming apparatus using the image forming apparatus.

The image forming apparatus of the present embodiment is an electrophotographic copying apparatus of a document table fixed-optical system moving type, a rotating drum type, and a transfer type.

After placing the original 19 on the fixed platen glass 20 as required and setting the required copying conditions, pressing the copy start key rotates the photosensitive drum 39 clockwise at the specified peripheral speed as indicated by the arrow. Driven.

Further, the light source 21 (22 is a reflection shade) and the first mirror 23 move at a predetermined speed V from the home position on the left side of the glass to the right side of the glass along the lower surface of the platen glass 20 at a predetermined speed. When the three mirrors 24 and 25 move in the same direction at a speed of V / 2, the downward image surface of the placed document 19 on the platen glass 20 is illuminated and scanned from the left side to the right side. The original surface reflected light is formed by an imaging lens 29 and fixed fourth to sixth mirrors 26 and 27.
Image formation exposure (slit exposure) on the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 39 via 28;

Before the exposure, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 39 is charged by a primary charger.
30 has been uniformly charged to a positive or negative predetermined potential, and by performing the above exposure on this charged surface,
An electrostatic latent image having a pattern corresponding to the document image is sequentially formed on the surface of the drum 39. The formed electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 39 is visualized as a toner image of the developing roller 32 of the developing device 31.

On the other hand, a transfer material sheet P as a recording material is fed by paper feeding means (not shown), and is introduced at a predetermined timing through a guide 33 into a transfer portion between the drum 39 and the transfer charger 34 to transfer the transfer corona. As a result, the toner visible image on the drum 39 surface side is sequentially transferred to the sheet P surface by coming into contact with the drum 39.

The sheet P that has passed through the image transfer unit is drum-shaped by separating means (not shown) (for example, a separating belt disposed at the end of the drum).
The surface is sequentially separated from the surface 39, and is subjected to static elimination of the back surface charge by the static elimination needle 35, introduced into the fixing device 50 by the transport unit 38 and the guide 18, and is fixed by the toner as described above, and is discharged out of the apparatus as an image formed product. Is done.

The surface of the drum 39 of the transferred material is cleaned by a cleaning device 36 and a cleaning blade 37 to remove dirt such as residual toner, and is repeatedly provided for forming.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention can remove the offset toner transferred to the fixing film surface of the fixing device of the film heating system without the above-described problems.
The durability and reliability of this type of fixing device can be improved, and the intended purpose is well achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of the fixing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view. FIG. 3 is a model diagram of a layer configuration example (two layers) of a fixing film. FIG. 4 is a side view of the fixing device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view of the fixing device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of an image forming apparatus. 1 is a heating element, 3 is a heater substrate, 4 is a heating element (electric heating resistor), 5 is a temperature sensor, 7 is a fixing film, 10 is a pressure roller, and 13 is an oil (release agent) application roller.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-63-313182 (JP, A) JP-A-61-110179 (JP, A) JP-B-50-16936 (JP, B1) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03G 15/20 G03G 13/20

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A film that moves in contact with a recording material carrying an unfixed image, a driving member that drives the film in contact with a surface of the film opposite to the recording material side, and a recording material side of the film. A release supply member that supplies a release agent to the film in contact with the surface of the film, and that fixes an unfixed image on the recording material by heat from the film, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the film. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the release agent supply member has a smaller width than the film and exists inside the film.