Patent ID: 11921446
Assignee: OKI ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A fixing device, comprising:
an annular belt having an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface;
a facing member forming a fixing nip with the outer circumferential surface of the annular belt at a nip area;
a heating member facing the inner circumferential surface of the annular belt at the nip area;
a holder member disposed at an inner side of the annular belt and holding the heating member; and
a heat storage member disposed between the heating member and the holder member so as to face a surface of the heating member at a side opposite to a side at which the annular belt is disposed, wherein
the heat storage member has a thermal diffusivity lower than a thermal diffusivity of the annular belt, and
the heating member includes:
a heater disposed to face the heat storage member, and having a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other, the second surface facing the annular belt, and
a heat diffusion member made of a metal, and having a first side and a second side that are opposite to each other and respectively face the first surface of the heater and the annular belt at the nip area, and

at the nip area, the heater contacts the first side of the heat diffusion member and the second side of the heat diffusion member contacts the annular belt in such a way that heat from the heater is transferred to the outer circumferential surface of the annular belt through the heat diffusion member.