Electrophotography – Image formation – Fixing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2001-12-25
Grainger, Quana M. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Fixing
C399S327000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334041
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fixing apparatus for fixing an image transferred to a paper sheet, which is comprised in an electrophotographic copying machine, for example.
Several fixing apparatuses of this kind comprise a heat roller and a press roller which roll in contact with each other. A paper sheet onto which an image has been transferred is let pass between the heat and press rollers, thereby heating and press the paper sheet to fix the transferred image to the paper sheet.
When fixing this transferred image, dirt of toner or the like sticks to the surface of the press roller in some cases. Therefore, a cleaning roller made of metal is pressed into contact with the press roller, and dirt of the press roller is removed by this cleaning roller.
The surface of the metal-made cleaning roller described above is subjected to polish processing after molding. During the polish processing, oil or the like is applied to the surface of the cleaning roller. This oil is removed from the surface of the cleaning roller by ultrasonic washing.
However, in some cases, the oil cannot be sufficiently removed by the ultrasonic washing but oil partially remains on the surface of the cleaning roller.
If oil thus remains on the surface of the cleaning roller, the part cannot provide sufficient adhesive strength. Consequently, even if dirt is cleaned from the press roller, the dirt easily peels off from the cleaning roller. Therefore, sufficient cleaning performance cannot be attained, so a problem arises in that the cleaned dirt sticks to the press roller again from the cleaning roller and stains the paper sheet or falls off from the cleaning roller and stains the inside of the fixing apparatus.
Further, mixture of a part to which toner sticks and a part free from toner on the cleaning roller is a factor which accelerates cleaning defects and the problem becomes worse.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above situation and has an object of providing a fixing apparatus and an image forming apparatus which are capable of attaining excellent cleaning performance without allowing dirt once cleaned to peel off from the cleaning roller.
A fixing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: fixing means for fixing a developer image on a medium, to which the developer image has been transferred, by passing the medium between a heat roller and a press roller, and a cleaning roller made of metal and having a surface subjected to etching processing at surface roughness of 0.4 to 3.2 &mgr;m, and contacted the press roller of the fixing means, for cleaning a developer which has stuck to the press roller during fixing of the developer image.
Another fixing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: fixing means for fixing a developer image on a medium, to which the developer image has been transferred, by passing the medium between a heat roller and a press roller, a cleaning roller made of metal and having a surface subjected to etching processing at surface roughness of 0.4 to 3.2 &mgr;m, and contacted the press roller of the fixing means, for cleaning a developer which has stuck to the press roller during fixing of the developer image; and a coat layer coated on the surface of the cleaning roller by a developer or a part of a component of the developer and having layer thickness of 50 to 150 &mgr;m and surface roughness of 4.8 &mgr;m or less.
Further, another fixing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: fixing means for fixing a developer image on a medium, to which the developer image has been transferred, by passing the medium between a heat roller and a press roller, and a cleaning roller made of metal and having a surface subjected to sandblast processing at surface roughness of 0.8 to 2.4 &mgr;m, and contacted the press roller of the fixing means, for cleaning a developer which has stuck to the press roller during fixing of the developer image.
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: image forming means for forming a electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information on an image carrier; developing means for supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed by the image forming means, thereby to develop the electrostatic latent image; transfer means for transferring a developer image developed by the developing means, to a medium; and fixing means for fixing the developer image transferred by the transfer means, to the medium, wherein the fixing means includes heat and press rollers for fixing the developer image on the medium, to which the developer image has been transferred, by passing the medium between the heat and press rollers, and a cleaning roller made of metal and having a surface subjected to etching processing at surface roughness of 0.4 to 3.2 &mgr;m, and contacted the press roller of the fixing means, for cleaning the developer which has stuck to the press roller during fixing of the developer image.
Another image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: image forming means for forming a electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information on an image carrier; developing means for supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed by the image forming means, thereby to develop the electrostatic latent image; transfer means for transferring a developer image developed by the developing means, to a medium; and fixing means for fixing the developer image transferred by the transfer means, to the medium, wherein the fixing means includes heat and press rollers for fixing the developer image on the medium, to which the developer image has been transferred, by passing the medium between the heat and press rollers, a cleaning roller made of metal and having a surface subjected to etching processing at surface roughness of 0.4 to 3.2 &mgr;m, and contacted the press roller of the fixing means, for cleaning the developer which has stuck to the press roller during fixing of the developer image, and a coat layer coated on the surface of the cleaning roller by a developer or a part of a component of the developer and having layer thickness of 50 to 150 &mgr;m and surface roughness of 4.8 &mgr;m or less.
Further another image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: image forming means for forming a electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information on an image carrier; developing means for supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image formed by the image forming means, thereby to develop the electrostatic latent image; transfer means for transferring a developer image developed by the developing means, to a medium; and fixing means for fixing the developer image transferred by the transfer means, to the medium, wherein the fixing means includes heat and press rollers for fixing the developer image on the medium, to which the developer image has been transferred, by passing the medium pass between the heat and press rollers, thereby to fix the developer image, and a cleaning roller made of metal and having a surface subjected to sandblast processing at surface roughness of 0.8 to 3.2 &mgr;m, and contacted the press roller of the fixing means, for cleaning the developer which has stuck to the press roller during fixing of the developer image.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3945318 (1976-03-01), Landsman
patent: 4949130 (1990-08-01), Torino
patent: 5678153 (1997-10-01), Okamoto et al.
patent: 2674692 (1997-07-01), None
Foley & Lardner
Grainger Quana M.
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
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