Patent ID: 7403737
Filing Date: 2008-07-22
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for fixing an image on a sheet of recording media, the sheet of media having a width including leading corners and outside edges relative to its path through said apparatus, comprising: a heater mounted in a heater housing, the housing having laterally spaced apart ends; a belt slideable on said heater; a driven roller, said heater cooperating with said driven roller, with said belt being interposed between said driven roller and said heater to form a relatively high pressure nip; wherein said heater housing includes protruding features each located at an end and spaced apart by the width of the media, said protruding features available to engage and laterally constrain the leading corners and outside edges of said sheet of supplied media before said media enters said nip in a feed direction to reduce the occurrence of media edge spreading upon nip entry and wherein said features at each end of the heater housing extend toward said feed direction form an interference and a relatively low pressure contact area between said driven roller and said leading corners and outside edges of said media in front of said nip.