JPS62242980A - Fixing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a toner offset, a paper wrinkle, and a paper jam, and to obtain a fixed image having a high quality, by heating the outside peripheral surface of the first rotating body from the outside peripheral surface by a cleaning means consisting of a thin metallic cylinder and containing a heating means. CONSTITUTION:As for a fixing roller 21 being the first rotating body, as it rotates, an offset preventive liquid 36 is applied to its surface by an offset preventive liquid applying means 32, and also, it is heated by a thin metallic cylinder 38 of a cleaning means 37 which has been heated by a heating means 39, and a nip N is formed between said roller and a backup roller 25 being the second rotating body which has been contacted with pressure by a pressure means 28. Surface roughness of the outside peripheral surface of said thin metallic cylinder 38 is made rougher than surface roughness of the outside peripheral surface of the fixing roller 21, and an sticking force of a toner, etc., to the outside peripheral surface of the thin metallic cylinder 38 is made large, by which stable cleaning is executed. Also, by the thin metallic cylinder 38, the outside peripheral surface of the fixing roller 21 is heated quickly, and the wait time is shortened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fixing device for heating and fixing a toner image to an image receptor such as paper, and relates to a fixing device for heating and fixing toner images on an image receptor such as paper, and for fixing images in copiers, printers, etc. that apply electrostatic printers and electrophotography. The present invention relates to a fixing device that can be applied to a forming device.

Conventional technology A fixing device that fixes a toner image formed by an image forming method such as electrophotography onto a recording material such as paper includes a fixing roller that is heated by a heat source and a pressure roller that is in pressure contact with the fixing roller. A configuration is often used in which a paper holding a toner image is conveyed, and the toner image on the paper is heated and pressurized to melt and fix it.

The fixing device with this configuration is based on a heat roller system, and is effective in terms of high thermal efficiency and excellent fixing performance. In order to obtain an image, it is necessary to sufficiently melt the toner, eliminate toner offset to the fixing roller during fixing, and prevent the occurrence of paper wrinkles and the like.

Therefore, the conventional fixing device is, for example,
As shown in Publication No. 0, the structure was as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a fixing roller, which is composed of a metal core 4 and a heat-resistant mold release outer layer 6, and has a built-in quartz lamp 3 as a heating element. For power supply to the quartz lamp 3, known temperature detection means and power control means (not shown) may be used.

A backup roller 2 has a silicone rubber layer 8 on a metal core 6, and a fluoroethylene propylene coating 7 is applied thereon to prevent the silicone rubber 8 from swelling due to the offset prevention liquid 12.

9 is an offset phenomenon prevention liquid supply mechanism, and 1 and 12 are offset phenomenon prevention liquids, preferably silicone oil. 13 is a container; 14 is a supply roller which is appropriately rotated by a motor 16 to supply the offset prevention liquid 12 to the wick 16;
supply.

18 is a cleaning roller that comes into contact with the fixing roller 1;
A material having a sponge rubber layer 2o on a metal core 19 is used.

The recording paper 10 holding the toner image 11 is pressed by a mechanism not shown, and the fixing roller 2 cooperates to form a nip.
1 and backup roller 2, the recording paper 1
The toner image 11 on the recording paper 1o is heated and pressurized by the fixing roller 1 heated by the quartz lamp 3 and melted.
fixed on top.

During fixing, an offset phenomenon prevention liquid 12 is supplied to the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 1 by an offset phenomenon prevention liquid supply mechanism 9 to prevent melted toner from adhering to the fixing roller 1 side. 11 Even if some toner adheres, it is removed by the cleaning roller 18 so as not to stain the recorded image.

Problem 1 to be Solved by the Invention: In the conventional fixing device as described above, the fixing roller 1 is heated from inside by the quartz lamp 3 built in, so the outer circumference of the fixing roller 1 is heated. The time required for the surface, that is, the surface with which the toner image 11 comes into contact, to rise to a predetermined fixing temperature increases, and when using the image forming apparatus, the wait time from turning on the main power switch until the apparatus starts up becomes longer. There was a drawback. Further, there is a drawback that parts other than the outer circumferential surface of the fixing row 21 are also heated, which increases the power consumption required for heating.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and eliminates toner offset and paper wrinkles with a simple configuration.

The object of the present invention is to provide a fixing device that can prevent paper jams, sufficiently melt toner, and always obtain high-quality fixed images, has short waiting time, and consumes low power.

Means for Solving the Problems The technical means of the present invention for solving the problems of the conventional art is a cleaning means for cleaning the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body (fixing roller 1 in the conventional example). It is constructed of a thin metal cylindrical body having an outer peripheral surface rougher than the surface roughness, and a heating means (quartz lamp 3 in the conventional example) for heating the first rotating body is built into this thin metal cylindrical body.

action The effect of this technical means is as follows.

That is, the cleaning means for IJ-cleaning the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body is constituted by a thin metal cylindrical body having an outer circumferential surface rougher than the outer circumferential surface roughness of the first rotating body. By incorporating the heating means for heating the first rotating body, the thin metal cylindrical body with a small heat capacity is quickly heated by the built-in heating means, and the first rotating body in contact with the thin metal cylindrical body is heated quickly. The outer peripheral surface of the can be quickly heated.

Furthermore, since the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface of the thin metal cylindrical body is made rougher than that of the first rotating body, even if toner adheres to the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body, it will The toner adheres to the thin metal cylinder side with a rough outer circumferential surface, and as a result, there is no toner offset, paper wrinkles, or paper jam, and a high-quality fixed image is always obtained on the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body. At the same time, the first rotating body (
In the conventional example, the time required for the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 1) to rise to a predetermined fixing temperature becomes longer and the wait time during use of the device becomes longer, and the power consumption does not increase. This makes it possible to shorten the time and reduce power consumption.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a fixing roller, which is a first rotary body rotatably supported in a fixing device housing (not shown). A silicone rubber layer 23 is provided on a metal core 22, and Teflon The silicone rubber layer 23 is coated with a heat-resistant releasable outer layer 24 such as (trade name, manufactured by DuPont) to prevent the silicone rubber layer 23 from swelling due to the anti-offset liquid 36.

The fixing roller 21 is pressed against the fixing roller 21 by a pressing means 28, which will be described later.

28 is a pressure means, and a fulcrum shaft 29 is fixed to the fixing device housing.
The pressurizing arm 3 rotates around this fulcrum shaft 29.
o and a pressure spring 31, the pressure arm 3
o rotatably supports the backup roller 25,
A pressure spring 31 presses the backup roller 26 against the fixing row 221.

Reference numeral 32 denotes offset prevention liquid application means, which is composed of a container 33, a wick 34, and a coating row 236.
Anti-offset liquid 3 such as silicone oil in 3
6 is sucked up by a wick 34 and applied to the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 21 by an application roller 36 with an anti-offset liquid 36.

Reference numeral 37 denotes a cleaning means, which is composed of a thin metal cylinder 38, a scraping plate 43, and a container 44, and performs nipping.

Furthermore, the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface of the thin metal cylinder 38 is made rougher than that of the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 21, so that toner and the like attached to the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 21 may be removed from the outer circumferential surface of the thin metal cylinder 38. It is designed to increase adhesion.

39 is a heating means for heating the outer peripheral surface of the fixing roller 21;
For example, a quartz lamp or the like is effectively used and is provided within the thin metal cylinder 38 of the cleaning means 3T.

The temperature of the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 21 is controlled by a temperature detecting means (not shown) and a power control means for the heating means, so that the temperature of the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 221 is controlled to a predetermined fixing temperature.

4o is a peeling claw, and the recording paper 41 after fixing is removed from the fixing roller 21.
Alternatively, it is prevented from being wrapped around the backup roller 26.

Next, the operation of the configuration of this embodiment will be explained.

As the heating fixing roller 21 rotates, an anti-offset liquid 36 is applied onto the off-heat releasable outer layer 24, and a cleaning means 37 is heated by a heating means 39.
A nip N is formed between the back-up roller 26 which is heated by the thin metal cylinder 38 and pressed by the pressure means 28 .

In this embodiment, since the fixing row 221 is heated by the heating means 39 or by the thin metal cylinder 38 of the IJ-nip means 37, the thin metal cylinder 38 having a small heat capacity is heated. The fixing roller 21 is rapidly heated and is in contact with the thin metal cylinder 38.
The outer circumferential surface of the tube will also be rapidly heated.

Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 21 is heated from the roller outer circumferential surface side, and the temperature is controlled so that the temperature of this outer circumferential surface reaches a predetermined fixing temperature, so unnecessary parts are not heated. The power consumption required will be reduced.

Furthermore, the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface of the thin metal cylinder 38 is made rougher than that of the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 221, and the fixing roller 2
Since the adhesion force of toner, etc. attached to the cleaning means 37 to the outer circumferential surface of the thin metal cylinder 38 is increased, the cleaning effect of the cleaning means 37 has no practical problems, and stable cleaning is always performed.

Next, the recording paper 41 holding the toner image 42 formed by an image forming method such as electrophotography is conveyed between the fixing roller 21 and the backup roller 26 in the above state, and the recording paper 41 The upper toner image 42 is sufficiently heated and pressurized to be completely melted and fixed.

As described above, according to the fixing device of this embodiment, the fixing roller 2
Since the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 221 is heated from the roller outer circumferential surface side by the thin metal cylinder 38 of the cleaning means 37, which is quickly heated by the heating means 39, the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 221 can be rapidly heated, and the weight Time can be shortened, and sufficient toner melting and power consumption can be achieved.

In addition, the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface of the thin metal cylinder 38 is rougher than that of the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller 21, so that stable cleaning can always be performed.
A high-quality fixed image can be obtained without paper jams or paper wrinkles.

Effects of the Invention The present invention is configured to heat the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body from the outer circumferential side of the rotating body by means of a cleaning means consisting of a thin-walled metal cylinder that is rapidly heated by a heating means. Since the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface of the metal cylinder is configured to be rougher than that of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body, the temperature of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body is equal to the predetermined fixing temperature as in the conventional case. The time it takes to rise to
Moreover, there is no increase in power consumption.

As a result, it is possible to always obtain high-quality fixed images without the occurrence of toner offset, paper wrinkles, or paper jams, and it is also possible to shorten wait time and reduce power consumption when using the device, making it possible to improve its practical use. The effect is strong.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of a fixing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of a conventional fixing device. 21...First rotating body, 26...Second
rotating body, 2B...pressurizing means, 32...
Offset prevention liquid application means, 37... Cleaning means, 38... Thin metal cylinder, 39...
...Heating means.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A fixing device that heats and fixes a toner image on an image receptor, comprising first and second rotating bodies that sandwich the image receptor, and a fixing device that heats the first and second rotating bodies. a pressurizing means for applying pressure, a heating means for heating at least the first rotating body, an offset preventing liquid application means for applying an anti-offset liquid to the outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body, and at least the first rotating body.
A fixing device comprising: a cleaning means for cleaning an outer circumferential surface of a rotating body, the heating means being built into the cleaning means. (2) The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning means is constituted by a thin metal cylinder. (3) The fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface of the thin metal cylindrical body is made at least rougher than the surface roughness of the outer circumferential surface of the first rotating body.