Patent Publication Number: US-8971763-B2

Title: Image heating apparatus and belt exchanging method

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART 
     The present invention relates to an image heating apparatus for heating a toner image on a recording material and a belt exchanging method therefor. The image heating apparatus can be used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, a complex machine having a plurality of functions of such machines. 
     In a fixing device as the image heating apparatus, so-called heating roller type devices are widely used. In a fixing device of the heating roller type, a recording material carrying an unfixed toner image is passed through a nip formed between a fixing roller and a pressing roller which are press-contacted with each other and are rotated, by which the unfixed toner image is fixed into a fixed image on the recording material. 
     On the other hand, a fixing device an endless film (endless belt) heating type has been proposed, in which the electric power is not supplied in the fixing device in the stand-by period, thus saving the electric power (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Sho, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 4-44075, and Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Hei 4-204980). 
     With such a fixing device, the pre-heating during the stand-by period is unnecessary, and the waiting time can be reduced because of the high heating efficiency and speedy start-up, and therefore, such a fixing device is advantageous over the heating roller type fixing device. 
     In addition, in such a fixing device, when the endless film is deteriorated due to a long term operation, not only the endless film, but the entire fixing unit is exchanged. From a standpoint of protection of the ambient condition, such an exchanging system involves a point to be improved. 
     In view of this, if an attempt is made to exchange only the endless film, the following inconvenience may arise. 
     More particularly, when the endless film is taken out of the fixing unit, a thermister (temperature sensor) and/or a grounding contact member (grounding member) provided inside the endless film may hit or bite the endless film. If this occurs, the thermister and/or the grounding contact member may be damaged. 
     In addition, when a fresh endless film is mounted to the fixing unit, the fresh endless film may be damaged by hitting the thermister and/or the grounding contact member. If this occurs, the endless film has to be exchanged immediately, again. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image heating apparatus comprising an endless belt for heating a toner image on a recording material in a nip; a rotatable member for cooperating with said endless belt to form the nip and rotating said endless belt; a holding member, provided opposed to said rotatable member through said endless belt, for holding said endless belt at an inside of said endless belt and for contacting said endless belt to heat said endless belt; a contact member contacting an inner surface of the endless belt; and a retracting mechanism for retracting said contact member from said endless belt, and for maintaining the retracted state of said contact member when said endless belt is taken out of said holding member along a longitudinal direction of said holding member. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a belt exchanging method in an image heating apparatus which includes an endless belt for heating a toner image on a recording material in a nip, a rotatable member for cooperating with said endless belt to form the nip and rotating said endless belt, a holding member, provided opposed to said rotatable member through said endless belt, for holding said endless belt at an inside of said endless belt and for contacting said endless belt to heat said endless belt, and a contact member contacting an inner surface of the endless belt. The belt exchanging method comprises: a step of retracting said contact member from said endless belt; a step of taking said endless belt out of said holding member along a longitudinal direction of said holding member, in a state that said contact member is retracted from said endless belt; a step of telescoping an endless belt to replace the taken out endless belt along the longitudinal direction around said holding member in the state that said contact member is retracted from said endless belt; and a step of contacting said temperature sensor to an inner surface of the replaced endless belt. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a fixing device as an image heating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a perspective view when an end portion limiting member is in a first state, and (b) is a perspective view when the end portion limiting member is in a second state. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an image forming apparatus provided with the image heating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the fixing device as the image heating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the fixing device as the image heating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an arm member as a retracting member in the image heating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     &lt;First Embodiment&gt; 
     (Image Forming Apparatus) 
     Referring first to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a schematic sectional view of an image forming apparatus provided with a fixing device as an image heating apparatus according to this embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 2 , a photosensitive drum  1  as an image bearing member comprises a cylinder of aluminum or nickel and a photosensitive material such as OPC, amorphous Se or amorphous Si, thereon. The photosensitive drum  1  is rotated in a direction indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 2 , and the surface thereof is charged uniformly by a charging roller  2  as a charging means. Then, the photosensitive drum  1  is exposed to a laser beam L ON/OFF controlled in accordance with image information by a laser scanner  3 , so that an electrostatic latent image is formed. 
     The electrostatic latent image is visualized by a developing device  4 . As for the developing method, a jumping developing method, a two-component developing method, FEED developing method (contact type developing method using one component insulative toner) are usable, and a combination of an image exposure and a reverse development is widely used. 
     Toner image visualized toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum  1  onto a recording material P fed at predetermined timing, by a transfer roller  5  as a transferring means. Here, in order to align the image forming position of the toner image on the photosensitive drum  1  with the writing start position at the leading end of the recording material, a sensor  8  is provided to detect the leading end of the recording material. The recording material P fed at the predetermined timing is nipped and fed with the predetermined pressure between the photosensitive drum  1  and the transfer roller  5 . The recording material P having the transferred toner image is fed to a fixing device  6  as the image heating apparatus, where it is fixed into a fixed image. 
     On the other hand, residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum  1  is removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum  1  by a cleaning device  7 . A discharge sensor  9  is provided in the fixing device  6  to detect sheet jamming and functions to detect sheet jamming occurring between a top sensor  8  and the discharge sensor  9 . 
     (Fixing Device) 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration of the fixing device  6  ( FIG. 2 ) as the image heating apparatus, and  FIG. 4  is a perspective view thereof. A fixing nip N is formed by a fixing assembly  10  and a pressing roller  20 , and the recording material carrying the unfixed toner image is introduced into the fixing nip N to effect the heating and fixing. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fixing assembly  10  comprises a fixing belt  13  (endless belt) as a flexible sleeve, which is rotated in a feeding direction of the recording material carrying the image, and an elongated heater (heating device)  11  which is elongated in the direction crossing with the feeding direction. 
     Furthermore, the fixing assembly  10  comprises a heat-insulation holder  12  holding the heater  11 , and a metal stay  14  for holding the heat-insulation holder  12 , the metal stay  14  contacting the heat-insulation holder  12  to suppress flexure and/or twisting of the entire fixing assembly  10 . 
     Here, the heater  11 , the heat-insulation holder  12  and the metal stay  14  function as a holding member for rotatably holding the fixing belt  13  at the inside thereof. The metal stay  14  is pressed by an urging spring  15  so that the holding member is urged to the pressing roller  20  disposed in the opposite side of the fixing belt  13 . 
     The heater  11  is a ceramic heater and is held by a heat-insulation holder  12 , and is made of a heat resistive resin material such as liquid crystal polymer, phenolic resin, PPS or PEEK. The heat conduction to the pressing roller  20  increases with a decrease of the thermal conductivity, and therefore, the resin material layer may comprise a filler such as glass balloon and/or silica balloon, wherein the filler it is effective to guide the rotation of the fixing belt  13 . 
     (Fixing Belt) 
     In order to accomplish a quick start, the fixing belt  13  uses a heat resistive film having a total thickness not more than 200 μm. A base layer thereof is made of a heat resistive resin material such as polyimide, polyamide-imide or PEEK (polyetheretherketone), a pure metal or alloy of SUS (stainless steel), Al, Ni, Cu, Zn or the like having a heat resistivity and high thermo-conductivity. 
     In the case of a resin material base layer, it may comprise a high thermo-conductive powder such as BN, alumina or Al in order to enhance the thermo-conductivity. In order to enhance the lifetime of the heat-fixing device, it is preferable that the fixing belt  13  has a total thickness not more than 20 μm. Therefore, the optimum total thickness of the fixing belt  13  is not less than 20 μm and not more than 200 μm. Furthermore, in order to assure the toner offset prevention and the recording material separation property, the surface thereof is coated with a toner parting layer comprising a heat resistive resin material having good parting property, such as a silicone resin material or a fluorinated resin material such as a PTFE, PFA, FEP, ETFE, CTFE or PVDF, singly or as a mixture. In this embodiment, the surface layer comprises at least PTFE and PFA. 
     Here, PTFE is polytetrafluoroethylene, PFA is tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkylvinyl ether copolymer, FEP is tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer. In addition, ETFE is ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, CTFE is polychlorotrifluoroethylene, and PVDF is polyvinylidene fluoride. 
     As for in a coating method, an outer surface of the fixing belt  13  is subjected to an etching process, and then the toner parting layer is formed by dipping, powder spray or the like. Alternatively, the fixing belt  13  is covered by the resin material formed into a tube shape. Or, the outer surface of the fixing belt  13  is subjected to a blast treatment, and then a primer layer which is an adhesive material is applied, and the toner parting layer is provided thereon. 
     (Pressing Roller) 
     The fixing belt  13  (endless belt) is driven by the pressing roller  20  functioning as a driving rotatable member. Pressing roller  20  is an elastic roller comprising a metal core  21  of SUS, SUM (sulfur-containing or sulfur-complex free-machining steel), Al or the like, and an elastic layer  22  of an elastic solid rubber layer, an elastic foam rubber layer or an elastic porous rubber layer or the like on the outside of the metal core  21 . The elastic solid rubber layer is made of a heat resistive rubber such as silicone rubber or fluorine-containing rubber. The elastic foam rubber layer is silicone rubber foam having a heat-insulation effect. 
     The elastic porous rubber layer a silicone rubber layer containing hollow fillers (micro-balloon or the like) dispersed therein so that the cured material thereof contains gas to enhance the heat-insulation effect. The parting layer of the perfluoroalkoxy material (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene material (PTFE) or the like may be provided thereon. 
     (Driving and Control Method for Fixing Device) 
     The fixing assembly  10  is urged against an elasticity of the pressing roller  20  to form the fixing nip N, in the following manner. The fixing assembly  10  is provided with a flange  16  functioning as a limiting member at each of opposite end portions thereof, and the flange  16  is connected with the metal stay  14 . The flange  16  it is effective to limit movement of the fixing belt  13  in the longitudinal direction so that the fixing belt  13  is maintained within a predetermined zone with respect to the longitudinal direction thereof. The urging spring  15  urges the flange  16  toward the pressing roller  20  by which the force of the urging spring  15  is transmitted to the opposite end portions of the metal stay  14  through the flange  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the metal stay  14  projects beyond the heat-insulation holder  12  at each of the opposite end portions with respect to the longitudinal direction, and is inserted into the flange  16  so that the flange  16  is pressed by a coil spring  15 . The weight is transmitted uniformly over the longitudinal direction of the heat-insulation holder  12  through a stay foot portion  14   b.    
     In the fixing nip N, the fixing belt  13  flexes by being nipped between the heater  11  and the pressing roller  20  by the pressure so that the fixing belt  13  is closely contacted to the heating surface of the heater  11 . The pressing roller  20  receives a driving force for rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 3  by a  17  provided at an end portion of the core metal. The driving force is transmitted from a motor (unshown) in response to an instructions from the CPU. 
     In accordance with the rotation of the pressing roller  20 , the fixing belt  13  is rotated (traveled) by a frictional force relative to the pressing roller  20 . At this time, the fixing belt  13  slides on the heater  11 . Between the fixing belt  13  and the heater  11 , a lubricant such as fluorine or silicone type heat resistive grease is provided to reduce a frictional resistance to accomplish sliding rotation (traveling) of the fixing belt  13 . 
     For a temperature control of the heater  11 , the use is made with signals from a thermister  18  (temperature sensor) provided on a rear surface of a ceramic substrate supporting the heater  11 , and a thermister  19  (temperature sensor) contacting to the inner surface of the fixing belt  13  to directly detect a temperature of the fixing belt. More particularly, in response to the signals, the CPU determines and controls the voltage (duty ratio and/or wave number or the like) to be applied to the heater  11  (electric heat generating resistance layer) so as to maintain the temperature in the fixing nip N at a desired target temperature. 
     Furthermore, the metal stay  14  is provided with a grounding contact member (grounding member)  21  for the purpose of grounding the fixing belt  13 . The grounding contact member  21  and the thermister  19  are in such a positional relation that when the fixing belt  13  is mounted, they are in sliding contact with the inner surface of the fixing belt  13  with rotation of the fixing belt  13 . More particularly, the grounding contact member  21  and the thermister  19  are mounting to the metal stay  14  (functioning as the holding member for supporting the fixing belt  13  together with the heat-insulation holder  12 ) so as to be elastically projected to contact to the inner surface of the fixing belt  13 . 
     The recording material P covering the unfixed toner image it supplied by a supplying means (unshown) at the predetermined timing and is nipped and fed by the fixing nip N, during which the unfixed toner image it fixed by heat. The recording material P discharged from the fixing nip N is guided by the discharging guide and is finally discharged. 
     (Retracting Mechanism) 
     A description will be provided as to a retracting mechanism for retracting the thermister  19  and the grounding contact member  21 , which function as contact members for contacting the inner surface of the fixing belt  13 . The retracting mechanism functions to prevent the fixing belt from being stuck by the thermister  19  and/or the grounding contact member  21  in the exchange of the fixing belt (removal of the used belt and insertion of the fresh belt). In this example, the thermister and the grounding contact member are retracted from the operating position thereof (the position for detecting the temperature of the fixing belt or the position for grounding the fixing belt) to the position for permitting the exchange of the fixing belt. 
     As shown in parts (a) and (b) of  FIG. 1 , the heat-insulation holder  12  is provided with a retraction lever  30  as the retracting member. More specifically the retraction lever  30  is connected with the heat-insulation holder  12  so as to be movable (capable of thrusting) in the longitudinal direction of the heat-insulation holder  12  (a rotational axial direction of the rotatable member (fixing belt)). One end portion of the retraction lever  30  is connected with the heat-insulation holder  12  through an urging member  31 . 
     In the retraction lever  30 , when the flange  16  as the limiting member is mounted to the stay  14  (first state), it is placed in a first thrust position (part (a) of  FIG. 1 ) where a stopper  32  as a stopper portion is pressed against the flange  16 . On the other hand, when the flange  16  is removed upon the exchange of the endless belt (second state), it is in a second thrust position (part (b) of  FIG. 1 ) where the stopper  32  is pressed against the heat-insulation holder  12 . The flange  16  in the first state limits the movement of the fixing belt  13  in the direction (longitudinal direction) crossing with the rotational direction, whereas the flange  16  in the second state permits the movement of the fixing belt  13  in the direction crossing with the rotational direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the retraction lever  30  as the endless belt exchanging unit is provided with projections  33  each having an inclined surface  33   a  as an operating portion for retracting the thermister  19  and the ground  21  from the inner surface of the fixing belt  13  at the second thrust position. More particularly, the inclined surfaces  33   a  of the projection  33  are effective to slide the thermister  19  and the ground  21  thereon to retract them from the inner surface of the fixing belt  13 . 
     That is, when the flange  16  is removed, and the retraction lever  30  is moved from the first thrust position to the second thrust position in the thrust direction, the thermister  19  and the ground  21  slide on the inclined surfaces  33   a  to retract from the inner surface of the fixing belt  13 . By the retracting mechanism, the thermister  19  and the ground  21  are kept away from the fixing belt. 
     When a predetermined number of fixing operations of the fixing device having such a structure, the fixing belt  13  is worn out, and sliding resistances between the fixing belt  13  and the heater  11  and the heat-insulation holder  12  increase by the produced debris. As a result, the fixing belt  13  is not rotated by the pressing roller  20 , and the recording material P cannot be fed properly, and/or a damage occurs on the surface of the fixing belt  13  due to the press-contact with the end portion of the recording material P, and therefore, the image quality is deteriorated. At the time of such a state, the fixing belt  13  is exchanged. 
     In such a case, the flange  16  for limiting the movement of the urging spring  15  and the fixing belt  13  in the thrust is dismounted, so that the fixing belt  13  becomes capable of being pulled out of the fixing assembly  10 , and the worn fixing belt  13  can be exchanged. More particularly, when the urging spring  15  and the flange  16  are dismounted, the retraction lever  30  moves from the first thrust position to the second thrust position in the thrust direction. By this, the thermister  19  and the ground  21  are retracted from the inner surface of the fixing belt  13 , by which the thermister  19  and the ground  21  are not slid on the inner surface of the fixing belt  13  when the used fixing belt  13  is pulled out. 
     In addition, when a fresh fixing belt  13  is mounted to the fixing assembly  10  (telescoped), the thermister  19  and the ground  21  are retracted inwardly beyond the inner surface position of the fixing belt  13 , and therefore, it can be telescoped without interference with the fixing belt  13  and the ground  21 . By mounting the flange  16  to the stay  14  after telescoping the fresh fixing belt  13 , the retraction lever  30  is moved by the flange  16  to the first thrust position. As a result, the projection  33  is disengaged from the thermister  19  and the ground  21 , so that the thermister  19  and the ground  21  can be contacted to the inner surface of the fixing belt  13 . 
     As described in the foregoing, with the fixing device according to this embodiment, when the fixing belt is mounted to the belt unit, the collision of the inner surface of the belt to the contact member or members can be minimized or prevented, and therefore, it becomes unnecessary to exchange entire fixing assembly  10  or the entire fixing device all together. That is, the belt per se can be exchanged without damage or denting of the inner surface of the belt. By this operation, the abnormal wearing of the belt in the exchanging operation and the deterioration of the image quality can be avoided, and by continuing use without wasting a usable part to protect the ambient condition, the reduction of the cost can be accomplished. 
     MODIFIED EXAMPLE 1 
     In the foregoing embodiment, the heating device is a ceramic heater, but the present invention is not limited to a particular heating type. That is, the present invention is applicable to an electromagnetic induction heating type in which the fixing belt is provided with an electroconductive layer which generates heat by electromagnetic induction heating source, or to a type in which the fixing belt is provided with a heat generation layer which generates heat by electric power supply, or the like type. 
     MODIFIED EXAMPLE 2 
     In the foregoing embodiment, the pressing member (rotatable member) is a pressing roller, but the present invention is not limited to it, but a fixed pressing pad is usable in place of the pressing roller. 
     MODIFIED EXAMPLE 3 
     The image heating apparatus of the present invention is applicable not only to the fixing device for fixing the unfixed toner image on the recording material, described in the foregoing, but also to a glossiness improving device for improving a glossiness of the image by heating the toner image already fixed on the recording material. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purpose of the improvements or the scope of the following claims. 
     This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 131782/2012 filed Jun. 11, 2012 which is hereby incorporated by reference.