Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7881650?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-07-02 21:35:12
Document Index: 512153499

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n6', 'Application No. 2007', 'art 320', 'art 320', 'art 320', 'Application No. 08156024']

Patent US7881650 - Fusing device and image forming apparatus having the same - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA fusing device includes a rotatable pressing roller, a fusing belt to rotate by a rotational force transmitted from the rotatable pressing roller, a nip forming member to contact an inner surface of the fusing belt to form a nip on a contact area between the rotatable pressing roller and the fusing...http://www.google.com/patents/US7881650?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7881650 - Fusing device and image forming apparatus having the sameAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7881650 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/036,514Publication dateFeb 1, 2011Filing dateFeb 25, 2008Priority dateOct 4, 2007Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN101403884A, CN101403884B, EP2045671A1, EP2045671B1, US8032069, US20090092423, US20110091254Publication number036514, 12036514, US 7881650 B2, US 7881650B2, US-B2-7881650, US7881650 B2, US7881650B2InventorsSu-Ho Shin, Dong-Woo Lee, Tae-Gyu Kim, Chang-Hoon Jung, Tae-hoon Kim, Hwan-hee KimOriginal AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (8), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (19), Classifications (5), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetFusing device and image forming apparatus having the same
US 7881650 B2Abstract
a pressing unit;
a belt unit to rotate in contact with the pressing unit;
a nip forming unit disposed to form a nip area on a contact area between the pressing unit and the belt unit;
a heating unit to heat the nip forming unit and the belt unit;
a support unit to support the nip forming unit with respect to the pressing unit; and
an insulating member disposed between the nip forming unit and the support unit to prevent transfer of the heat from the nip forming unit to the support unit.
4. The fusing unit of claim 1, wherein the nip forming unit comprises:
a main body to surround at least a portion of the heating unit to receive a first portion of heat from the heating unit; and
a nip part connected to the main body and disposed on the nip area to receive a second portion of the heat from the heating unit.
5. The fusing unit of claim 4, wherein:
the first portion of heat of the heating unit is transmitted to the nip part; and
the second portion of heat of the heating unit is directly transmitted from the heating unit to the nip part.
6. The fusing unit of claim 1, wherein the nip forming unit comprises:
a main body to receive a first portion of the heat from the heating unit; and
a nip part having a first portion to receive the first portion of the heat of the heating unit from the main body and a second portion to directly receive a second portion of the heat of the heating unit.
7. The fusing unit of claim 1, wherein the nip forming unit comprises:
a main body to surround a first portion of the heating unit to receive a first portion of heat of the heating unit; and
a nip part to surround a second portion of the heating unit to receive a second portion of heat of the heating unit.
13. The fusing unit of claim 1, wherein the support unit comprises:
an inner support member disposed inside a traveling path of the belt unit to support the nip forming unit; and
an outer support member disposed outside the traveling path of the belt unit and connected to the inner support member to support the inner support member.
14. The fusing unit of claim 1, wherein the support unit comprises:
an inner support member disposed to support the nip forming unit to be spaced-apart from the heating unit; and
an outer support member disposed outside the belt unit to support the inner support member with respect to the pressing unit.
15. The fusing unit of claim 1, wherein the insulating member comprises:
a first portion disposed between the nip forming unit and the support unit to provide a heat insulation; and
a second portion extended from the first portion to guide the belt unit along a traveling path.
16. A fusing device, comprising:
a nip forming unit to be in contact with the pressing unit to form a nip area on a contact area between the pressing unit and the belt unit;
a support unit to support the nip forming unit with respect to the pressing unit, the support unit comprising a space formed therein, so that the belt unit passes through the space of the support unit; and
a fusing device to fix the image onto the printing medium,
wherein the fusing device comprises:
a support unit to support the nip forming unit with respect to the pressing unit,
the support unit comprising a space formed therein, so that the belt unit passes through the space of the support unit; and
19. A fusing device, comprising:
a heating unit to heat the nip forming unit and the belt unit; and
a support unit to support the nip forming unit with respect to the pressing unit, the support unit comprising a space formed therein, so that the belt unit passes through the space of the support unit, the support unit comprising an inner support member placed inside the belt unit and an outer support member placed outside the belt unit such that both ends of the outer support member are engaged with the inner support member to reinforce strength of the inner support member and to form a path for a radiation heat to disperse.
20. The fusing device of claim 19, wherein:
the pressing unit comprises a rotatable roller member; and
the belt unit rotates by a rotating force transmitted from the roller member.
21. The fusing device of claim 19, wherein the nip forming unit comprises:
a main body formed to surround at least a portion of the heating unit to collect radiation heat from the heating unit; and
a nip part connected to the main body to contact the belt unit.
25. The fusing device of claim 21, further comprising:
a thermostat formed on a cover of the fusing device to detect, by contact or without contact, a temperature of the belt unit and shut off power when detecting overheating,
wherein an outer support member of the support unit comprises a hole to accommodate the thermostat to detect the temperature.
26. The fusing device of claim 19, wherein:
the nip forming unit comprises a main body and a nip part; and
the inner support member comprises a central portion comprising a pair of spaced ribs to press both sides of the nip part, and an arch-shape connector to connect both ends of each of the pair of spaced ribs.
29. The fusing device of claim 26, further comprising:
an insulating member disposed between the nip part of the nip forming unit and a central portion of the inner support member to prevent transfer of heat of the nip forming unit to the support unit.
37. The fusing device of claim 19, wherein the inner support member is located inside the belt unit to press a nip part of the nip unit member toward the pressing unit, and
the outer support member is located outside the belt unit.
38. The fusing device of claim 37, further comprising:
an insulating member disposed between the inner support member and the nip forming unit to prevent transfer of heat from the nip part to the inner support member,
wherein the insulating member comprises a surface to face the belt unit and to be round to correspond to a traveling path of the belt unit.
39. The fusing device of claim 37, further comprising:
guide members formed on both sides of the inner support member and the outer support member, to guide the traveling of the belt unit,
wherein each of the guide members comprises a portion to be fit in between the inner support member and the outer support member and to be fastened in place by a coupling member.
a photosensitive medium to form an electrostatic latent image thereon;
a developing unit to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive medium with a developer;
a transfer unit to transfer a developer image of the photosensitive medium onto a recording medium; and
a fusing device to fix the developer image into the recording medium,
wherein the fusing device comprises,
a pressing unit,
a belt unit to rotate in contact with the pressing unit, an outer surface of the belt unit contacting the pressing unit,
a nip forming unit in contact with the pressing unit to form a nip area on a contact area between the pressing unit and the belt unit, an inner surface of the nip forming unit contacting the belt unit,
a heating unit to heat the nip forming unit and the belt unit, and
a support unit to press the nip forming unit, the support unit comprising:
an inner support member located within the belt unit to press a nip part of the nip forming unit toward the pressing unit;
an outer support member located outside the belt unit, and having both ends to be engaged with the inner support member to reinforce the inner support member and form a path for radiation heat to disperse; and
a space formed therein for the belt unit to disperse through. Description
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. �119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 2007-99852, filed Oct. 4, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
Although not illustrated, an elastic member may be provided between a rotating shaft 100 a of the pressing unit 100 and a fusing device frame 10 to elastically support the pressing unit 100 toward the belt unit 200 with respect to the fusing frame 10.
The nip forming unit 300 includes a main body 310 to receive or collect the radiant heat from the heating unit 400, and a nip part 320 to form the nip area N formed on a contact between the pressing unit 100 and the belt unit 200. The main body 310 may be disposed to wrap around or surround a portion or an entirety of the heating unit 400, so as to receive or collect not only the radiant heat from the heating unit 400, but also the radiant heat reflected from other structures, such as an inner surface of the belt unit 200. The collected heat energy is transmitted to the nip part 320. The main body 310 may include one or more slit 310 a and/or gap 310 b to allow the radiant heat from the heating unit 400 to be passed and directly transmitted to the nip area 320. The nip forming unit 300 may be made of highly heat-transferable materials, such as metals including aluminum or copper, or alloy of metals.
Referring to FIG. 7, the inner support member 510 includes a central portion 512 having a pair of spaced ribs 511 and 511′ to press both sides of the nip part 320, and an arch-shape connector 513 to link both ends of the pair of spaced ribs 511 and 511′.
Referring to FIG. 8, the inner support member 510 may additionally include bent reinforcing ribs 514 formed on inner or outer sides of the pair of spaced ribs 511 and 511′. The bent reinforcing ribs 514 help increase the moment of inertia of a cross sectional area within a predetermined range of area.
Referring to FIG. 9, the inner support member 510 includes a plurality of spacers 515 to formed between the pair of spaced ribs 511 and 511′ to keep a constant gap between the ribs 511 and 511′. The inner support member 510 may be deformed by a load exerted on both ends, causing the gap between the spaced ribs 511 and 511′ to be reduced or changed and the subsequent bending of the nip forming unit 300 fit in the gap. By placing one or more spacer 515 between the spaced ribs 511 and 511′ of the inner support member 510, such reduction or change of the gap between the spaced ribs 511 and 511′ can be prevented. Because the spacers 515 are put in place after the nip forming unit 300 is fit in the inner support member 510, the nip forming unit 300 may be partially deformed by cutting, for example, to provide a space for the spacers 515.
Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the main body 310 of the nip forming unit 300 includes heat shielding units 311 and 311′ extended from corresponding bodies 310 a to prevent the direct transfer of the radiation heat of the heating unit 400 to the inner support member 510 and the insulating member 600. Because the heat shielding units 311 and 311′ prevent the direct transfer of the radiation heat of the heating unit 400 to the inner support member 510 or the insulating member 600, overheating of the inner support member 510 and the insulating member 600 is avoided. While the heat shielding units 311 and 311′ are bent in perpendicular relation with respect to the main body 310 in the exemplary embodiment explained above, other alternative shapes, such as diagonal shape, may be implemented to prevent the direct transfer of the heat. The bodies 310 a and the heat shielding unit 311 or 311′ has a shape to correspond to a shape of the inner support member 510 to surround the inner support member 510.
FIG. 14 illustrates both ends 520 a of the inner and outer support members 510 and 520 of the support unit 500 in a fastening state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.
Like the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12, the inner and outer support members 510 and 520 according to the second exemplary embodiment are fastened with the screws 530 and have the guide members 540 and 550 formed therebetween. However, the both ends 520 a of the outer support members 520 are bent with respect to a major body 520 b thereof to support both ends of the inner support member 510 according to the present exemplary embodiment. A predetermined degree of tension is applied to the support unit 500 according to characteristics of the support unit 500 to squeeze or push against the pressing unit 100 to form a nip area, and also according to spring force applied to the both ends 520 a thereof. The both ends 520 a of the outer support member 520 are bent to disperse a tensile load or stress exerted to the screws 530 and to help the inner and outer support members 510 and 520 and the belt guide members 540 and 550 be arranged in an assembling process. Because the both ends 520 a of the inner and outer support members 510 and 520 are in contact with each other, the same effect is obtained as that from the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 13.
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