JPH0869195A - Fixing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a fixing device capable of shortening warm-up time and reducing the power consumption. CONSTITUTION: This fixing device is provided with the heat roller mechanism part 1 disposed on one side of the paper sheet feed-in path, and the pressure roller mechanism part 2 disposed on the other side of the paper sheet feed-in path and abutting on the heat roller mechanism part 1 to be rotated. Then, the heat roller mechanism part 1 is provided with the heater 3 comprising of the conductive member disposed in a specified area on the side of abutting on the pressure roller mechanism part 2 and the induction heating coil part 4 arranged by the heater 3 for applying the induction heating to the heater.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fixing device, and more particularly to a heat and pressure type fixing device which is a part of an electrophotographic recording system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many fixing systems have been proposed for fixing devices which are a part of an electrophotographic recording system, but safety, reliability, recording medium compatibility, output speed compatibility, cost reduction, and further From the viewpoint of maintenance and the like, at present, a heating and pressurizing type fixing device occupies the majority.

FIG. 7 shows a typical example of a typical heating and pressing system. The conventional example shown in FIG. 7 mainly includes a pair of nip roller systems including a heat roller 101 arranged on the upper side and a pressure roller 102 arranged on the lower side of FIG. It is configured.

Of these, the heat roller 101 measures the temperature of the cylindrical rotary heating element 101A, the halogen lamp 101B as a heat source mounted in the rotary heating element 101A, and the outer peripheral temperature of the rotary heating element 101A. And a temperature sensor 101C that operates. The heat roller 101 is rotationally driven from the outside by a driving device (not shown). In this case, the rotary heating body 101A described above is heated from the inner surface by the radiant heat from the halogen lamp 101B.

The pressure roller 102 is composed of a pressure main shaft 102A for generating a pressure and a cylindrical and thick heat-resistant elastic layer 102B fixedly mounted around the pressure main shaft 102A. It has a structure equipped with. The pressure roller 102 is the heat roller 1 described above.
A predetermined pressing force is constantly applied toward the 01 side, and at the same time, the heat roller 101 is energized and driven to rotate.

Then, for example, when the sheet with toner attached to the heat roller 101 side of FIG. 7 is carried in between the heat roller 101 and the pressure roller 102 which rotate in the directions of arrows A and B shown in the drawing, This toner is heated and pressed on the paper to be fixed. Reference numerals 105 and 106 respectively denote paper guides.

Further, in recent years, a heating and pressure type fixing device using a cylindrical heat-resistant thin body as shown in FIG. 8 has been put into practical use.

In the fixing device in FIG. 8, the heating roller mechanism 201 is equipped with a cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 201A and a linear heating element 201B in place of the heat roller and the halogen lamp in FIG. Cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 20 for fixedly supporting the cylindrical heating element 201B
It has a configuration including a horseshoe-shaped fixed guide 201C that guides the rotation of 1A. Reference numeral 201D is a linear heating element 2
The temperature sensor which detects the temperature of 01B is shown.

In FIG. 8, the pressure roller 202 is
The pressurizing main shaft 202A that generates a pressing force and the pressurizing main shaft 20
Cylindrical pressure roller body 2 fixedly installed around 2A
02B, and the pressure roller 102 in FIG.
It has the same configuration as. Reference numerals 205 and 206 denote paper guides, respectively.

In the conventional example shown in FIG. 8, the pressure roller 202 is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown) and is urged by the pressure roller 202, so that the heating roller mechanism 201 operates. The cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 201A portion is adapted to be driven to rotate.

Here, generally, nickel electroforming, polyimide film or the like is used as the cylindrical heat resistant thin body 201A, and ceramic heaters, sheathed heaters or planar heaters are used as the line heating elements. Has been done.

Then, for example, between the heating roller mechanism 201 and the pressure roller 202, which rotate in the direction of the arrow shown,
When a sheet on which the heating roller mechanism 201 side of FIG. 8 has been developed is carried in, the toner is heated and pressed onto the sheet to be fixed.

Further, examples of using the induction heating method in a fixing device include Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-9027, Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-73155, and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-55055.

Among these, in the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-9027, a heat roller is provided side by side with a closed magnetic path formed by an exciting core and an auxiliary core, and a vortex generated by a magnetic flux penetrating the thickness of the heat roller. The electric current generates Joule heat to heat the heat roller.

In Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-73155, a through hole formed in the central portion of the heat roller in the longitudinal direction and a magnetic member are formed on the outer side and both ends to form a closed magnetic path. Except for the part located at, the laminated iron core and the magnetic block have a two-layer structure, and the exciting coil is wound around the magnetic member in the part located in the through hole. When applied, the heat roller disposed in the closed magnetic circuit is heated by electromagnetic induction.

Further, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-55055, the portion corresponding to the halogen lamp in the fixing device shown in FIG. 7 described above is replaced with an electromagnetic induction heating coil portion, and a high frequency coil is used. An output from a power source is applied to heat the heat roller by electromagnetic induction.

[0017]

However, in each of the conventional examples described above, first, in the heat roller having the halogen lamp built-in shown in FIG. 7, the heat generated by the halogen lamp is partially lost as convective heat. However, there is a large amount of heat loss from portions other than the pressure roller contact portion of the heat roller that are uniformly heated, and therefore there is the disadvantage that overall thermal efficiency is poor. Further, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 7, the heat roller itself has a relatively large heat capacity, and on the other hand, since it is heated from the inside of the heat roller, it is relatively long to operate. It takes warm-up time,
There is a problem that work efficiency is low and power consumption is large as a whole.

Further, in this conventional example shown in FIG. 7, there is a temperature drop at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the heat roller, and it is difficult to form a uniform temperature distribution. Further, the halogen lamp is made of glass. In addition, there is a risk that it will be difficult to handle when assembled and mounted in the heat roller or replaced, and there will be a risk of damage and that workability will be poor even during maintenance.

The conventional example shown in FIG. 8 has the advantage that the warm-up time is shorter than that of the configuration shown in FIG. 7 and the power consumption is reduced, but it is the direct heating by the linear heating element. Therefore, the temperature fluctuation of the linear heating element directly affects the fixing performance, and the temperature difference on the paper contact surface becomes uneven, which directly affects the quality of toner fixing and causes the heat-fixed toner over time. There was the inconvenience of causing minute peeling in spots.

Further, since the structure described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-9027 has a structure for raising the temperature of the entire heat roller, the thermal efficiency is low and the warm-up time is required as in the case of the conventional example shown in FIG. However, since the iron cores having a plurality of legs are mounted opposite to each other through the thickness of the heat roller, the diameter of the through hole in the central shaft portion of the heat roller also becomes large, and the entire device becomes large and many mounting adjustments are required. There was an inconvenience that it took time and effort.

Further, the one described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-73155 has a structure which relatively responds to the problems in the fixing devices using the induction heating action up to now, but the entire heat roller is uniform. Since it is designed to raise the temperature, the heat efficiency is poor, it is heavy because it is close to a lump of iron, and there is also a double structure part, which makes mounting and assembly difficult, costly and productivity is poor. There was an inconvenience.

The device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-55055 is for heating the entire heat roller because the heat generation efficiency due to the electromagnetic induction effect is poor because the heat roller and the heating coil are separated from each other. However, there is a disadvantage that it takes warm-up time and the thermal efficiency is poor.

[0023]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a fixing device which improves the disadvantages of the conventional example, particularly shortens the warm-up time and reduces power consumption.

[0024]

The present invention provides claim 1 thereof.
In a fixing device having a heat roller mechanism section and a pressure roller mechanism section, the heat roller mechanism section is formed from a conductive member disposed in a predetermined region on the side abutting the pressure roller mechanism section. And a coil portion for induction heating which is provided along with the heating element and which induction-heats the heating element.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixing device having a heat roller mechanism section and a pressure roller mechanism section,
The heat roller mechanism section is configured to include a heating element made of a conductive member arranged in a predetermined area on the side contacting the pressure roller mechanism section, and the pressure roller mechanism section is cylindrical and heat-resistant. And a heat-resistant thin cylindrical body having heat resistance, and an induction heating coil portion fixedly mounted in the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body at a position close to the heating element of the heat roller mechanism section for induction heating the heating element. It is equipped with.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the pressure roller mechanism portion has a cylindrical heat-resistant thin body having heat resistance and a cylindrical heat-resistant thin body, and a heat-generating body of the heat roller mechanism portion in the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body. A heat-resistant elastic thin layer made of a heat-resistant elastic member is mounted along the outer wall surface of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body while having an induction heating coil part fixedly installed in a close position to induction-heat the heat-generating body. It adopts the configuration of doing.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the heating element of the heat roller mechanism is constituted by a rotatably mounted cylindrical member having a predetermined thickness, and the heat-resistant elastic member is provided around the outer periphery of the heating element. A heat-resistant elastic thin layer consisting of is attached.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the heating element of the heat roller mechanism is formed of a cylindrical member having a predetermined thickness, and the heating element is rotatably mounted. .

In the sixth aspect, the heating element of the heat roller mechanism portion is formed in a shape equivalent to that obtained by cutting a part of a cylindrical member having a predetermined wall thickness into a strip shape along the central axis. In addition, between the heating element formed of a part of the cylindrical member and the pressure roller mechanism section, the cylindrical heat-resistant cylindrical heat-resistant circulates around the heating element described above. The structure is such that a thin body is rotatably equipped.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the heating element of the heat roller mechanism is provided with some extension toward the upstream side in the rotational direction of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body circumscribing the heating element. There is.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the heat roller mechanism portion has a heating element made of a conductive member having a relatively large magnetic permeability, which is disposed in a predetermined region on the side contacting the pressure roller mechanism portion, and The pressure roller mechanism part is fixed to the rotation support shaft having a relatively large magnetic permeability, the induction heating coil part wound around the rotation support shaft, and both ends of the rotation support shaft, and is fixed to the pressure roller main body. In addition to supporting the section, a flange having a relatively large magnetic permeability and a part of the periphery of the section is provided in proximity to the heating element of the heat roller mechanism section.

This is intended to achieve the above-mentioned object.

[0033]

According to the first aspect of the invention, when an alternating current is applied to the induction heating coil portion from the outside, heat is generated due to the alternating magnetic flux generated between the heating element and the induction heating coil portion due to the electromagnetic induction action. Eddy current is generated in the body, whereby Joule heat is generated and the heating element self-heats and is heated to a predetermined temperature. This heat generation location is limited to the location where the induction heating coil section is disposed, that is, the periphery of the location where it contacts the pressure roller mechanism section. Then, when the sheet developed with the toner on the surface of the heat roller mechanism portion side is carried in, fixing is performed by the heat roller mechanism portion and the pressure roller mechanism portion.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when an alternating current is externally applied to the induction heating coil portion, heat is generated due to the alternating magnetic flux generated between the heating element and the induction heating coil portion due to the electromagnetic induction effect. Eddy current is generated in the body, and Joule heat is generated therefor, and the heating element self-heats and is heated to a predetermined temperature. In this case, the heating element is mounted on the heat roller mechanism section, and the induction heating coil section is mounted on the pressure roller mechanism section side. In the same manner as in the case of claim 1, the heating element self-heats and is heated to a predetermined temperature. Thereafter, the same fixing operation as in the case of claim 1 described above is executed.

In the invention according to claims 3 to 7, the same operation and the same operation are performed as in the invention according to claim 1 or claim 2 described above.

According to another aspect of the invention, the induction heating coil portion is wound around the rotation support shaft provided on the pressure roller mechanism side, and the rotation support shaft and the heat generating element on the heat roller mechanism side are provided. Form a closed magnetic circuit through a predetermined air gap, and therefore, the alternating magnetic flux formed by the induction heating coil portion causes a partial propagation loss at the air gap portion, but otherwise, the above-mentioned claim 2 It operates similarly to the invention and similar operations are performed.

[0037]

[First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the heat roller mechanism section 1 is disposed on one side (upper side) of the sheet conveying path.
And a pressure roller mechanism section 2 which is disposed on the other side (lower side) of the paper transport path and which comes into contact with the heat roller mechanism section 1 and rotates.

The heat roller mechanism portion 1 has a cylindrical heating element 3 made of a conductive member, a part of which is arranged in contact with the pressure roller mechanism portion 1 described above, and the cylindrical heating element 3.
And an induction heating coil section 4 for inductively heating the contact area of the heating element 3 with the above-mentioned pressure roller mechanism section 2 provided inside.

In the present embodiment, the cylindrical heating element 3 has a predetermined thickness and is rotatably mounted clockwise in FIG. The cylindrical heating element 3 is made of a magnetic material such as silicon steel or carbon steel that easily generates an eddy current, and is driven by a driving device (not shown).

The induction heating coil portion 4 for inductively heating the cylindrical heating element 3 is composed of a flat spiral excitation coil, and is fixed to the inner surface of the cylindrical heating element 3 described above with a slight gap. Equipped. Further, the induction heating coil portion 4 is provided on the side facing the inner surface of the cylindrical heating element 3,
An insulating layer made of heat-resistant resin or ceramic is provided.

On the heating element 3 side of the induction heating coil section 4, a temperature sensor 4A is provided at the center thereof. Based on the temperature information from the temperature sensor 4A, a control mechanism (not shown) sets and controls the temperature of a part of the heating element 3 which is induction-heated by the induction heating coil unit 4 to the optimum temperature required for toner fixing. It is like this. Reference numerals 5 and 6 respectively denote paper guides that form a part of the paper transport path.

The pressure roller mechanism section 2 is composed of a pressure main shaft 2A for generating a pressure force, and a cylindrical and thick heat-resistant elastic layer fixedly mounted around the pressure main shaft 2A. It is provided with the main body 2B. A predetermined pressing force is constantly applied to the pressure roller mechanism section 2 toward the heat roller mechanism section 1 side, and at the same time, the pressure roller mechanism section 2 is urged by the heat roller mechanism section 1 and driven to rotate. .

Next, the operation of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

When the heat roller mechanism portion 1 is rotated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 by the rotation driving means (not shown), the pressure roller mechanism portion 2 is rotated in the direction of arrow B following this. In addition, an alternating current is supplied to the induction heating coil unit 4,
An alternating magnetic flux links with a part of the heating element 3 in a region closest to the induction heating coil portion 4 (a predetermined range of a portion in contact with the pressure roller mechanism portion 2), and a part of the heating element 3 is It is excited to generate an eddy current, which generates Joule heat and self-heats to raise the temperature.

Here, the induction heating coil unit 4 has a frequency of 5
An alternating current of up to 20 [KHz] is applied. The pressure roller mechanism portion 2 of the heating element 3 described above is then used.
When the temperature at the contact portion with the temperature reaches the temperature required for fixing, the temperature information is sent to the control means (not shown) by the temperature sensor 4A, and the entire apparatus is set to the operating state.

Then, when the object to be heated and fixed (paper with toner attached) is carried in along the paper guide 5 with the surface to be fixed on the heat roller mechanism portion 1 side, the heat roller mechanism is contacted at the contact portion. Heat is supplied from the unit 1 and is pressed by the pressure from the pressure roller mechanism unit 2, whereby the fixing target is heat-pressure fixed, and thereafter the paper guide 6 on the discharge side.
Is discharged along with.

Therefore, according to the first embodiment, since the cylindrical heating element 3 is designed to heat only a certain area in contact with the pressure roller mechanism portion 2, the cylindrical heating element 3 is heated. Unlike heating the entire body 3, the warm-up time can be greatly shortened, power consumption can be effectively reduced at the same time, and the cylindrical heating element 3 can be partially heated by the induction heating coil portion 4. In addition, since the heating area is heated intensively, the heating area of the heating element 3 to be heated does not become patchy to the outside and the entire surface is uniformly set in temperature. The advantage is that the fixing performance and its reliability can be significantly improved.

That is, the advantages of the first embodiment are summarized as follows.

.. Since the heating element that heats the paper to be fixed is made to self-heat by the electromagnetic induction action, heating can be performed for a short time and uniform heating, the heating efficiency is good, and the assembly adjustment and temperature control are easy. ． Since only the heating element near the position where heat is supplied to the sheet to be fixed is heated, heat is efficiently radiated from the heating element to the sheet to be fixed, and the heating efficiency is excellent. ． Compared with the conventional heating method using a linear heating element,
The temperature control accuracy can be reduced, and it is possible to flexibly cope with changes in the ambient environment, thermal characteristics of various sheets of paper to be fixed, and speedup of conveyance of the paper to be fixed.

Here, in the above embodiment, the induction heating coil portion 4 is replaced with the heat roller mechanism portion 1 and the pressure roller mechanism portion 2.
Although the case where the induction heating coil portion 4 is provided symmetrically with respect to the axis line connecting the and, is illustrated, the induction heating coil portion 4 may be extended to some extent toward the upstream side in the rotational direction of the cylindrical heating element 3.

[0052]

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the heat roller mechanism portion 11 disposed on one side (upper side in FIG. 2) of the paper transport path and the other side of the paper transport path (in FIG. 2). And a pressure roller mechanism portion 12 that is disposed on the lower side) and rotates by contacting the heat roller mechanism portion 11.

The heat roller mechanism section 11 is provided with a heating element 13 made of a conductive member, which is disposed in a predetermined area on the side abutting the pressure roller mechanism section 12, and the heating element 13 provided adjacent to the heating element 13. An induction heating coil unit 14 for induction heating is provided. Here, the heating element 13 is set to have the same shape as a part of a cylindrical member having a predetermined thickness, that is, a shape cut into a strip shape along the central axis thereof.

The heat roller mechanism section 11 is further inscribed between the heat generating element 13 and the pressure roller mechanism section 12 and inscribed in the heat generating element 13 described above, and is driven to rotate by using the pressure roller mechanism section 12 as a driving side. A cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body 11A having a cylindrical shape and heat resistance is provided.

This cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 11A has a thickness of 2
The thin film is made of a polyimide resin having a thickness of about 0 [μm] to 0.1 [mm], and is rotatably supported by a mechanism (not shown).

Further, the heating element 13 is made of a magnetic material such as silicon steel or carbon steel in which eddy currents are easily generated, as in the embodiment of FIG. The cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body 11A is fixedly mounted inside the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 11A in a state of being somewhat extended along the upstream side in the rotation direction. At the same time, the induction heating coil portion 14 is also provided along the heating element 13 along the upstream side of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 11A in the rotational direction. Reference numeral 13A indicates a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heating element 13.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the pressure roller mechanism section 12 comprises a pressure main shaft 12A for generating a pressing force, and a cylindrical pressure roller main body fixedly mounted around the pressure main shaft 12A. 12B, and has the same configuration as that of the embodiment of FIG. 1 described above. In addition, the pressure roller mechanism unit 1
2 has a structural feature in that the pressure roller mechanism section 12 side is the rotation drive side. In this case, the connecting gear system for rotating the pressure roller is made of a non-magnetic material.

The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

In this way as well, in addition to having the same effects as the embodiment of FIG. 1 described above, the heating element 13 is mounted in a fixed state, so that the heat generation efficiency is good and the rotating cylindrical shape Compared with (in the case of FIG. 1), since the heating element 13 that is fixed and has a limited size is heated, it quickly rises to a constant temperature and the power consumption by the induction heating coil unit 14 is high. Is significantly reduced, and there is an advantage that the weight can be further reduced.

Further, the heating element 13 and the induction heating coil portion 14
And the cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body 11A in a state of being somewhat extended along the upstream side in the rotation direction of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body 11A.
Since it is fixedly installed inside A, the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 11A having a small thickness and a small heat capacity is preheated in advance, and in this respect, the fixing operation can be effectively and surely executed. ing.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the heat-generating body 13 and the induction heating coil portion 14 are made of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 1.
Although the case where the heating element 13 and the induction heating coil portion 14 are somewhat extended along the upstream side in the rotation direction is illustrated, the heating element 13 and the induction heating coil portion 14 may not necessarily be extended.

[0063]

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the heating element 23 is used.
Is provided in the heat roller mechanism section 21 and the induction heating coil section 25 is provided in the pressure roller mechanism section 22 side.

That is, in FIG. 3, the heat roller mechanism portion 21 includes a heat generating body 23 made of a conductive member disposed in a predetermined area on the side contacting the pressure roller mechanism portion 22, and the heat generating body 23. It is provided with a cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body 21A which is circumscribed and rotates and has heat resistance. Here, the heating element 23 is set in a shape equivalent to a part of a cylindrical member having a predetermined thickness, that is, a shape cut out in a strip shape along the central axis thereof, and the above-mentioned cylinder is used. The heat-resistant thin-walled body 21A is somewhat extended along the upstream side in the rotation direction. Here, the heat roller mechanism portion 21 forms a driving wheel, and its drive connection gear system is made of a non-magnetic material.

The pressure roller mechanism section 22 has a cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 22A having heat resistance and a cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 22A, and the heat generated by the heat roller mechanism section 21 in the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 22A. An induction heating coil unit 24 fixedly installed at a position close to the body 23 and inductively heating the heating element 23 is provided. Reference numeral 23A indicates a temperature sensor.

Further, a heat-resistant elastic thin layer 26 made of a fluorine-based or silicon-based heat-resistant elastic member is attached around the outer surface of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 22A forming the main part of the pressure roller mechanism section 22. ing. As a result, the pressure roller mechanism unit 22 can effectively exert its pressure function on the heat roller mechanism unit 21 described above.

In addition, as the material of the heating element 23 and the materials of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled bodies 21A and 22A, the same materials as those in the above-described embodiment of FIG. 2 are used. Code 2
Reference numerals 8 and 29 respectively denote paper guides.

In this way as well, in addition to the effects substantially the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the heating element 23 is the heat roller mechanism portion 21, and the induction heating coil portion 24 is the pressure roller mechanism. Since the parts are separately provided on the part 22 side, the induction heating coil part 24 does not come into direct contact with the heating element 23, and the durability of the induction heating coil part 24 can be increased at this point, and There is an advantage that the heat roller mechanism can be downsized and can be replaced at low cost, which has been required to be replaced frequently due to surface stains and scratches.

In this third embodiment, the heat-resistant elastic thin layer 26 is provided around the outer surface of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 22A, but the heat-resistant elastic thin layer 26 is not necessarily cylindrical. The heat-resistant thin body 22A does not have to be equipped. Further, the heat-resistant elastic thin layer 26 may be provided on both the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 21A of the heat roller mechanism portion 21 and the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 22A of the pressure roller mechanism portion 22 side.

As for the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 22A on the pressure roller mechanism 22 side, other materials may be used as long as they have equivalent functions.

[0072]

Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 4, the heat roller mechanism section 3
Reference numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical heating element 33 that is rotatably incorporated in the same manner as the above-described embodiment of FIG. 1, and this cylindrical heating element 33.
And a heat-resistant elastic thin layer 31A provided on the outer periphery of the. Reference numeral 33A indicates a temperature sensor that constantly detects the temperature of the heating element 33.

The pressure roller mechanism section 32 is a cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 32A having heat resistance and a cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 32A. An induction heating coil unit 34 is provided at a position close to the heating element 33 and fixed to induction-heat the heating element 33. Here, the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 32
A is biased by the heat roller mechanism portion 31 described above and is driven to rotate.

In addition, in the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG.
The heat-resistant elastic thin layer 26 provided in (1) is provided on the heat roller mechanism section 31 side, and is not provided on the pressure roller mechanism section 32 side. The other structure is the same as that of the third embodiment shown in FIG.

Even in this case, it is possible to obtain substantially the same operational effects as those of the third embodiment described above.

[0077]

[Fifth Embodiment] Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 5 to FIG. 6, the heat roller mechanism portion 41 is provided with a heating element 43 made of a conductive member having a relatively large magnetic permeability, which is disposed in a predetermined area on the side contacting the pressure roller mechanism portion 42. A cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body 41 which is circumscribed by the heating element 43 and rotates and which has heat resistance
It has A and.

Here, the heating element 43 is set in a shape equivalent to a part of a cylindrical member having a predetermined thickness, that is, a shape cut out in a strip shape along the central axis thereof,
The cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 41A described above is provided with some extension along the upstream side in the rotational direction. The heating element 43 is made of a magnetic material such as silicon steel or carbon steel that easily generates an eddy current. Reference numeral 43A indicates a temperature sensor.

The pressure roller mechanism section 42 has a rotary spindle 42A having a relatively large magnetic permeability, an induction heating coil section 42B wound around the rotary spindle 42A, and a rotary spindle 42A.
While supporting the pressure roller main body portion 44 from both ends coaxially with, and having a relatively large magnetic permeability and a part of the periphery thereof being close to the heating element 43 of the heat roller mechanism portion 41,
Flange 4 arranged via the rotation support shaft 42A and the bearing
2C and. Here, the rotary support shaft 42A and the flange 42C may be made of, for example, a sintered alloy or the like in which particles are insulated from each other and which has a relatively large magnetic permeability.

The above-mentioned pressure roller main body 44 is constructed by using aluminum or ceramic, which has a low generation efficiency of eddy current, as a base material, and the outer peripheral surface thereof is a fluorine-based porous heat-resistant material having a skin coding or a tube. A heat-resistant elastic thin layer 46 made of an elastic member is attached. Reference numeral 47 designates a drive roller drive gear which is made of a non-magnetic heat resistant material and has one side thereof coaxially fixed to the flange 42C.

Next, the operation of the fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 6 will be described.

When the entire apparatus is set to the operating state, the driving force of the rotary driving device (not shown) causes the pressure roller driving gear 4 to move.
7, the pressure roller mechanism portion 42 is rotated first, and the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 41A of the heat roller mechanism portion 41 is rotated in response to the rotation.

On the other hand, when an alternating current is applied to the induction heating coil portion 42B, an alternating magnetic flux is generated in the loop indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 6, an eddy current is generated in the heating element 43, and Joule heat is generated to self-heat. . Specifically, the induction heating coil portion 42B
Is a rotary support shaft 42A provided on the pressure roller mechanism 42 side.
Wound around the rotary shaft 42A and the heat roller mechanism 4
A closed magnetic circuit is configured with the heating element 43 on the first side through a predetermined air gap, and therefore, the alternating magnetic flux formed by the induction heating coil portion 42B causes a partial propagation loss at the air gap portion, but otherwise heat is generated. It effectively acts on the body 43.

Then, when the temperature of the heating element 43 reaches the temperature required for fixing, the sheet with toner attached is carried into the heat roller mechanism section 41 side and the heat pressure fixing is carried out. Then, the heat-pressure-fixed sheet is again discharged along the sheet guide.

In this way as well, it is possible to obtain substantially the same operational effects as the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 described above, and also to provide the induction heating coil portion 42B on the rotation support shaft 42A of the pressure roller mechanism portion 42. As a result, the space inside the pressure roller mechanism portion 42 can be effectively utilized, and an alternating magnetic flux loop can be formed via the flanges at both ends of the rotary support shaft 42A, so that efficient induction heating is performed. be able to.

In the fifth embodiment, the heat roller mechanism portion 41 has the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 41A and the heating element 43 mounted on the inner diameter side thereof. The portion 41 may be composed of a thick cylindrical heating element made of a conductive member.

[0088]

Since the present invention is constructed and functions as described above, according to the present invention, the heating element is self-heated only by a predetermined area on the side abutting against the pressure roller mechanism portion by the electromagnetic induction effect. Therefore, the heating speed of the heating element can be made extremely fast, and therefore the warm-up time can be greatly shortened. It is possible to effectively reduce the power consumption, and since the heating element is partially and intensively heated by the induction heating coil portion, the heating area of the heating element to be heated is external to the outside. As a result, a uniform temperature is set over the entire surface of the fixing device without causing unevenness. Therefore, an excellent fixing device which has not been available in the past can be provided in which the fixing performance and the reliability thereof can be remarkably improved. It is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 11, 21, 31, 41 Heat roller mechanism part 2, 12, 22, 32, 42 Pressure roller mechanism part 3, 13, 23, 33, 43 Heating element 4, 14, 24, 34, 42B Induction heating coil Part 11A, 21A, 22A, 32A, 41A Cylindrical heat-resistant thin body 26, 31A, 46 Heat-resistant elastic thin layer 42A Rotating spindle 42C Flange 44 Pressure roller main body

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A heat roller mechanism section disposed on one side of a sheet conveying path, and a pressure roller mechanism disposed on the other side of the sheet conveying path and abutting and rotating on the heat roller mechanism section. And a heat generating member made of a conductive member disposed in a predetermined region on the side that abuts the pressure roller mechanism, and the heat roller mechanism is provided together with the heat generating member. A fixing device comprising an induction heating coil unit for induction heating a body. 2. A heat roller mechanism section arranged on one side of the sheet conveying path, and a pressure roller mechanism arranged on the other side of the sheet conveying path and abutting and rotating on the heat roller mechanism section. In the fixing device having a section, the heat roller mechanism section is configured to include a heating element made of a conductive member disposed in a predetermined region on the side abutting the pressure roller mechanism section, and The roller mechanism part is a cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body having heat resistance and a cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body, which is fixedly mounted at a position close to the heat-generating body of the heat roller mechanism part. A fixing device comprising an induction heating coil section for induction heating. 3. The fixing device according to claim 2, wherein a heat-resistant elastic thin layer made of a heat-resistant elastic member is attached to the outer surface of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body on the pressure roller mechanism side. Fixing device. 4. The fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the heating element is composed of a cylindrical member that is rotatably mounted and has a predetermined wall thickness, and a heat-resistant elastic member is provided around the outer periphery of the heating element. A fixing device having a heat-resistant elastic thin layer made of. 5. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is formed of a cylindrical member having a predetermined wall thickness, and the heating element is rotatably mounted. . 6. The heating element is formed by a part of a cylindrical member having a predetermined wall thickness, and the heating element formed by a part of the cylindrical member and the pressure roller mechanism part. 3. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein a cylindrical heat-resistant thin-walled body having heat resistance and rotatably circumscribing the heating element is rotatably provided in the space. 7. The fixing device according to claim 6, wherein the heating element is provided so as to extend somewhat along the upstream side of the cylindrical heat-resistant thin body in the rotation direction. 8. A heat roller mechanism section disposed on one side of the sheet transport path and a pressure roller mechanism section disposed on the other side of the sheet transport path and abutting and rotating on the heat roller mechanism section. In the fixing device having, the heat roller mechanism section includes a heating element made of a conductive member having a relatively large magnetic permeability, which is disposed in a predetermined region on the side that abuts the pressure roller mechanism section. Together with the pressure roller mechanism section, a rotation spindle having a relatively large magnetic permeability, an induction heating coil section wound around the rotation spindle,
A flange which is fixed to both ends of the rotary support shaft to support the pressure roller main body, has a relatively large magnetic permeability, and a portion of the periphery of which is arranged close to the heating element of the heat roller mechanism. A fixing device having a configuration including and.