Patent ID: 7590376
Filing Date: 2009-09-15
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A fixing method, comprising steps of: inserting a recording medium between a pair of belts that are endless; pressurizing the recording medium only within a nip constituted by a heating roller and a pressurization roller; conveying the recording medium inserted between the belts by tension of the belts, an image being placed on a surface of the recording medium, the surface being stuck to one of the belts, the one being a fixing belt on the side of the heating roller; maintaining temperature of the recording medium by sandwiching the recording medium between the pair of the belts, where no forced cooling is provided; and controlling a temperature drop to be within a predetermined range, the temperature drop being a difference between a temperature of the fixing belt when the fixing belt is in contact with the heating roller and a temperature of the fixing belt when the recording medium is separated from the fixing belts, wherein the pair of the belts sandwiches the recording medium by belt tension of between 0.001 and 5.4 N/mm for a period of between 50 and 1000 ms, the recording medium is pressurized at pressure between 0.007 and 2.7 N/mm within the nip constituted by the heating roller and the pressurization roller, and the temperature drop is less than 50° C.