JPH06186879A - Fixing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an inexpensive fixing device by making the length of a cleaning pad a prescribed one and providing the cleaning pad only on the absolute minimum surface of the fixing roller. CONSTITUTION:The fixing device 10 is composed of the fixing roller 11 incorporating a heater, a pressure roller 12 coming into contact with the fixing roller 11 with prescribed pressurizing force, a thermister 13 measuring the surface temperature of the fixing roller 11, a thermostat 14 cutting off the energization of the heater when the surface temperature is a prescribed value or above a separating pawl 15 separating a recording paper and the cleaning pad 16 removing the unfixed to of the surface of the fixing roller 11. Then, the cleaning pad 16 is provided so as to rub on the surface corresponding to the thermister 13 of the fixing roller 11. Further, the cleaning pad 16 surely cleans the surface corresponding to the thermister 13, so that measuring accuracy is not reduced. Therefore, the cleaning pad of the of the recording paper is not required but cost can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fixing device used in an electrophotographic recording device, and more particularly to a fixing device for fixing a developing material adhered on a recording paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, used in an electrophotographic recording apparatus,
2. Description of the Related Art There is known a fixing device including a fixing roller for fixing a developing material attached on a recording sheet and a cleaning pad for cleaning the surface of the fixing roller. This type of fixing device is used in electrophotographic recording devices such as copiers, facsimile machines and printers, and is shown in FIG. This fixing device includes a fixing roller 1 for fixing the toner on the recording paper by heat-pressing a recording paper on which an image is formed by attaching a toner (developer) by the electrophotographic recording device, and the fixing roller 1 on the fixing roller 1. A pressure roller 2 that presses the recording paper, a thermistor 3 that measures the surface temperature of the fixing roller 1, a thermostat 4 that prevents excessive temperature rise of the fixing roller 1, and a separation that separates the recording paper from the surface of the fixing roller 1. A claw 5 and a cleaning pad (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a pad) 6 that is formed to be longer than the recording paper width and that cleans unfixed toner remaining on the surface of the fixing roller 1 are provided. The thermistor 3, the thermostat 4, and the separation claw 5 are provided so that the surface of the fixing roller 1 is in sliding contact with the pad 6
Are installed parallel to the axis of the fixing roller 1.

Incidentally, such a fixing device is disclosed in JP-A-62-62.
No. 123,486.

[0004]

In such a conventional fixing device, the fixing ratio of the fixing roller 1 for fixing the toner on the recording paper is low, and much toner remains on the fixing roller 1. Therefore, it is necessary to install the pad 6 longer than the recording paper width. However, since the fixing ratio has been remarkably increased due to the recent improvement of the toner component and the development of the processing method of the surface of the fixing roller 1, the width of the recording paper is not required unlike the conventional pad 6, which is one of the causes of the high cost. There was a problem that it has become.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost fixing device by setting the length of the cleaning pad to a predetermined length so as to be provided only on the minimum necessary surface of the fixing roller.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a fixing roller for fixing a developing material adhered on a recording paper by an electrostatic transfer system to form an image on the recording paper. In the fixing device, there is provided a temperature measuring means for slidingly contacting the fixing roller to measure the temperature thereof, and the fixing device is formed to have a predetermined length and is in sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller, and the fixing means corresponding to the temperature measuring means The present invention is characterized in that a cleaning pad for cleaning only the roller surface is provided, and the invention according to claim 2 fixes a developing material, which adheres to the recording paper and forms an image, by the electrostatic transfer method to the recording paper. A fixing device provided with a fixing roller has an excessive temperature rise preventing means for slidingly contacting the fixing roller to prevent an excessive temperature rise of the fixing roller, and is formed to a predetermined length and is fixed. Sliding contact with over la surface, it is characterized in providing a cleaning pad for cleaning only the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the excessive temperature rise preventing means.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixing device having a fixing roller for fixing a developing material, which is transferred onto a recording sheet to form an image by the electrostatic transfer method, on the recording sheet. A cleaning pad that has a separating member that separates the recording paper that has completed the step from the fixing roller, is formed to a predetermined length, and is in sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller, and that cleans only the surface of the fixing roller that corresponds to the separating member. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fixing device including a fixing roller configured to fix a developing material, which adheres to a recording sheet by an electrostatic transfer method and forms an image, onto the recording sheet. When the fixing roller is formed to have a predetermined length, it has at least one kind of electrical component for slidingly contacting the fixing roller to detect its temperature and control the temperature of the fixing roller. Sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller also,
At least one cleaning pad for cleaning only the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the electrical component is provided.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the cleaning pad reliably cleans the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the temperature measuring means. According to the second aspect of the present invention, only the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the excessive temperature rise prevention means is reliably cleaned by the cleaning pad.

According to the third aspect of the invention, only the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the separating member is reliably cleaned by the cleaning pad. According to the invention of claim 4,
The cleaning pad ensures that only the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the electrical components is cleaned.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are views showing a first embodiment of a fixing device according to the present invention, which is used, for example, in an electrophotographic recording device. In the figure, 10 is a fixing device, and the fixing device 10 includes a fixing roller 11 having an infrared heater 11a incorporated therein,
A pressure roller that is in contact with the fixing roller 11 with a predetermined pressure.
12 and the thermistor 13 for measuring the surface temperature of the fixing roller 11.
A thermostat 14 for detecting the temperature of the fixing roller 11 and cutting off the power supply to the heater 11a when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature; a plurality of separating claws 15 for separating the recording paper from the surface of the fixing roller 11; 11 includes a cleaning pad 16 for cleaning unfixed toner on the surface of the pressure roller 11, a pressure roller 12, a thermistor 13, and a thermostat.
The fixing roller 11 and the separation claw 15 are provided so as to be in sliding contact with each other. Further, the fixing device 10 includes a pair of paper discharge rollers 17 for conveying the fixed recording paper separated from the fixing roller 11 by the separating claw 15 to the downstream side in the electrophotographic recording device,
18 are equipped.

The surface temperature of the fixing roller 11 is measured by the thermistor 13, and based on the measurement result, the heater 11a is energized by the controller provided in the publicly known electrophotographic recording apparatus (not shown), so that a predetermined temperature, for example, can be obtained. 170
℃. The fixing roller 11 is a toner (developer) attached by the electrostatic transfer method by the electrophotographic recording device.
The exposed recording image is transferred to the recording paper and is heated and pressed against the pressure roller 12 to fix the toner on the recording paper. The thermostat 14 is a safety device that disconnects the power supply to the heater 11a when the temperature of the fixing roller 11 exceeds a predetermined temperature because the heater 11a remains powered due to a disconnection of the thermistor 13 wiring. The nail 15 is a fixing roller for fixing the fixed recording paper.
It separates from 11. That is, the thermistor 13 and the thermostat 14 constitute an electrical component that measures the temperature of the fixing roller 11 and controls the temperature.
Reference numeral 13 constitutes temperature measuring means, and thermostat 14 constitutes excessive temperature rise preventing means. Further, the separation claw 15 constitutes a separation member.

Further, the cleaning pad 16 is provided so as to be in sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller 11 corresponding to the thermistor 13, and cleans the surface of the fixing roller 11 with which the thermistor 13 contacts as the fixing roller 11 rotates. It is formed to the minimum required length. This pad 16 surely cleans the surface of the fixing roller 11 corresponding to the thermistor 13 to ensure the thermistor 13 and the fixing roller 11
The unfixed toner is prevented from accumulating in the meantime and the measurement accuracy of the thermistor 13 is lowered.

Thus, in this embodiment, the pad 16
The fixing rotor 11 is formed to be short and corresponds only to the thermistor 13.
Since the surface of the thermistor is provided so as to be cleaned, the measurement accuracy of the thermistor 13 is prevented from being lowered and the manufacturing cost is reduced. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the fixing device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, reference numeral 26 is a cleaning pad, and the pad 26 is provided so as to be in sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller 11 corresponding to the thermistor 13, and the fixing roller with which the thermostat 14 contacts with the rotation of the fixing roller 11.
It is formed to the minimum length necessary to clean 11 surfaces. The pad 26 prevents the unfixed toner from accumulating between the thermostat 14 and the fixing roller 11 and reliably lowering the detection accuracy of the thermostat 14 by reliably cleaning the surface of the fixing roller 11 corresponding to the thermostat 14. .

In this embodiment, since the pad 26 is formed short and the surface of the fixing rotor 11 corresponding to only the thermostat 14 is cleaned, the detection accuracy of the thermostat 14 is prevented from being lowered and the manufacturing cost is reduced. To be done. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the fixing device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 36 is a cleaning pad, and a plurality of pads 36 are provided so as to be in sliding contact with the surfaces of the fixing roller 11 corresponding to the plurality of separating claws 15. Fixing roller 11 with which 15 contacts
It is formed to the minimum length necessary to clean the surface of. This cleaning pad 36 is a fixing roller 11.
By reliably cleaning the surface corresponding to the separation claw 15, the unfixed toner is prevented from accumulating on the separation claw 15 and soiling the recording paper. The separation claws 15 of this embodiment are provided at four locations (only two locations are shown in FIG. 4) on the surface of the fixing roller 11.

In this embodiment, since the cleaning pad 36 is formed to be short and the surface of the fixing rotor 11 corresponding to only the separation claw 15 is cleaned, the separation claw 15 is prevented from soiling the recording paper. And the manufacturing cost is reduced. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the fixing device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, reference numeral 46 denotes a cleaning pad, and the pad 46 is provided at two places so as to be in sliding contact with the surfaces of the fixing roller 11 corresponding to the thermistor 13 and the thermostat 14, and the thermistor is rotated as the fixing roller 11 rotates. It is formed to have a minimum length necessary to clean the surface of the fixing roller 11 which the 13 and the thermostat 14 contact. This cleaning pad 46 surely cleans the surface of the fixing roller 11 corresponding to the thermistor 13 and the thermostat 14, thereby accumulating the unfixed toner between the thermistor 13 and the thermostat 14 and the fixing roller 11, and measuring accuracy and thermostat of the thermistor 13.
The detection accuracy of 14 is prevented from lowering.

In this embodiment, since the cleaning pad 46 is formed short to clean the surface of the fixing rotor 11 corresponding only to the thermistor 13 and the thermostat 14, the measurement accuracy of the thermistor 13 and the detection accuracy of the thermostat 14 are improved. Is prevented and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Incidentally, the cleaning pad in the above-mentioned embodiment has conventionally been required to be longer than the recording paper width to clean the entire surface of the fixing roller 11 because much unfixed toner remains on the fixing roller. Further, due to the improvement of the fixing roller 11, the amount of unfixed toner has become very small, so that it can be shortened.

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cleaning pad formed to have a predetermined length so as to correspond only to the temperature measuring means surely cleans the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the temperature measuring means. It is possible to provide a low-cost fixing device capable of preventing the measurement accuracy of the temperature measuring device from being lowered and keeping the temperature of the fixing roller at a predetermined temperature. Further, the cleaning and replacement cycle of the temperature measuring means is not impaired.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cleaning pad formed to have a predetermined length so as to correspond only to the excessive temperature rise prevention means surely cleans the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the excessive temperature rise prevention means. Therefore, it is possible to provide a low-cost fixing device that can prevent the detection accuracy of the excessive temperature rise prevention unit from decreasing and can reliably prevent the excessive temperature rise of the fixing roller. Further, the cleaning and replacement cycle of the excessive temperature rise prevention means is not impaired.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cleaning pad formed to have a predetermined length so as to correspond to only the separating member surely cleans the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the separating member. It is possible to prevent the separation member from being soiled, and to provide a low-cost fixing device that does not stain the recording paper. In addition, the cleaning and replacement cycle of the separating member is not impaired.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cleaning pad formed to have a predetermined length so as to correspond only to the electric component surely cleans the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the electric component. It is possible to provide a low-cost fixing device that can prevent the electrical components from being soiled by the material and that does not reduce the operation accuracy. In addition, the cleaning and replacement cycle of electrical components is not impaired.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a main part of a first embodiment of a fixing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the overall configuration.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a main part of the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a main part of the third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a main part of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a main part of the conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Fixing device 11 Fixing roller 13 Thermistor (Temperature measuring device, electrical component) 14 Thermostat (Temperature measuring device, electrical component) 15 Separation claw (separation member) 16, 26, 36, 46 Cleaning pad

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A fixing device comprising a fixing roller for fixing a developing material, which forms an image on a recording paper by an electrostatic transfer method, to the recording paper, and slidingly contacts the fixing roller to measure its temperature. A fixing device having a temperature measuring means, which is formed to have a predetermined length, is provided in sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller, and cleans only the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the temperature measuring means. 2. A fixing device provided with a fixing roller for fixing a developing material, which forms an image on a recording sheet by an electrostatic transfer method, to the recording sheet, the fixing device slidingly contacting the fixing roller, and the temperature of the fixing roller is exceeded. A cleaning pad is provided which has an excessive temperature rise prevention means for preventing an increase in temperature and which is formed to have a predetermined length and is in sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller to clean only the fixing roller surface corresponding to the excessive temperature rise prevention means. A fixing device characterized by the above. 3. A fixing device comprising a fixing roller for fixing a developing material transferred onto a recording paper by an electrostatic transfer system to form an image on the recording paper, wherein the recording paper on which the fixing of the developing material is completed is fixed. A fixing device having a separating member for separating from the roller, provided with a cleaning pad formed to have a predetermined length, slidingly contacting the surface of the fixing roller, and cleaning only the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the separating member. . 4. A fixing device having a fixing roller for fixing a developing material, which adheres to a recording paper and forms an image, onto the recording paper by an electrostatic transfer method, and detects the temperature of the fixing roller by slidingly contacting the fixing roller. The fixing roller has at least one kind or more of electric components for controlling the temperature of the fixing roller, is formed to have a predetermined length, and is in sliding contact with the surface of the fixing roller to clean only the surface of the fixing roller corresponding to the electric component. A fixing device comprising at least one cleaning pad.