Patent ID: 11934118
Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A fuser configured to nip a sheet by a heating roller the heating roller being rotatable about a rotation axis, and a pressurizing member and to thermally fix an image formed in a toner on the sheet, the fuser comprising:
a supporting member supporting the heating roller;
a temperature sensor including a temperature-detecting element, the temperature sensor attached to the supporting member being configured to detect a temperature of the heating roller without contacting; and
a plurality of ribs arranged on the supporting member, the plurality of ribs extending in a rotating direction of the heating roller along an outer circumferential surface of the heating roller at positions different from the temperature-detecting element in a lengthwise direction of the heating roller, the plurality of ribs including:
a first rib having a face facing the outer circumferential surface; and
a second rib located farther than the first rib from the temperature-detecting element in the lengthwise direction, the second rib having a face facing the outer circumferential surface,

wherein a length of the face of the first rib in the lengthwise direction is greater than a length of the face of the second rib in the lengthwise direction, and
wherein faces of the plurality of ribs facing the outer circumferential surface are curved in arcs which are centered about the rotation axis of the heating roller.