Image forming apparatus having fixing device for fixing toner image on a recording material

Abstract

An image forming apparatus having a fixing device for fixing toner image on a recording material, the fixing device includes: a heating member which heats a recording material; a pressing member which comes into contact with the heating member with pressure; and an air separator which separates the recording material from the heating member by compressed air blown between a leading edge of the recording material and the heating member, the air separator includes a plurality of nozzles disposed in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material and an air emitting amount distribution setting section which unifies an emitting amount distribution in the width direction of the compressed air which is emitted from the nozzles.

Description

FIG. 1 illustrates a total view of an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of the fixing unit;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the air separator;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the air separator;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the air separator;

FIG. 6 illustrates the main portion of an embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates the main portion of an embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates an aspect of conveyance of the recording material;

FIG. 9 illustrates the main portion of an embodiment 3 of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates an aspect of conveyance of the recording material;

FIG. 11 illustrates the main portion of an embodiment 4 of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 illustrates the main portion of an embodiment 5 of the present invention.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus having a fixing device for fixing toner image on a recording material, the fixing device comprising: (a) a heating member which heats a recording material;(b) a pressing member which comes into contact with the heating member with pressure; and(c) an air separator which separates the recording material from the heating member by compressed air blown between a leading edge of the recording material and the heating member,wherein the air separator includes a plurality of nozzles disposed in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material and an air emitting amount distribution setting section which unifies an emitting amount distribution in the width direction of the compressed air which is emitted from the nozzles.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air separator further comprises a guiding pipe member which sends the air to the nozzles and an air supplier which supplies the air to the guiding pipe member, and the air emitting amount distribution setting section comprises a plurality of air suppliers which supply the air from both ends of the guiding pipe member.

3. An image forming apparatus comprising: (a) a fixing device including(1) a heating member which heats a recording material,(2) a pressing member which comes into contact with the heating member with pressure, and(3) an air separator which separates the recording material from the heating member by compressed air blown between a leading edge of the recording material and the heating member; and(b) a conveyance unit which conveys the recording material with reference to a center of the recording material in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material,wherein the air separator includes a plurality of nozzles disposed in the width direction and an air emitting amount distribution setting section which controls an emitting amount distribution in the width direction of the compressed air which is emitted from the nozzles so that a center portion of the air emitting amount distribution in the width direction becomes high.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the air separator further comprises a guiding pipe member which sends the air to the nozzles and an air supplier which supplies the air to the guiding pipe member, and the air emitting amount distribution setting section comprises a plurality of air suppliers which supply the air from a center portion of the guiding pipe member in the width direction.

5. An image forming apparatus comprising: (a) a fixing device including(1) a heating member which heats a recording material,(2) a pressing member which comes into contact with the heating member with pressure and(3) an air separator which separates the recording material from the heating member by compressed air blown between a leading edge of the recording material and the heating member; and(b) a conveyance unit which conveys the recording material with reference to one side of the recording material in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the recording material,wherein the air separator includes a plurality of nozzles disposed in the width direction and an air emitting amount distribution setting section which controls an air emitting amount distribution in the width direction, the air which is emitted from the nozzles so that the one side in the width direction of the air emitting amount distribution becomes high.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the air separator further comprises a guiding pipe member which sends the air to the nozzles and an air supplier which supplies the air to the guiding pipe member, and the air emitting amount distribution setting section comprises a plurality of air suppliers which supply the air from one end of the guiding pipe member in the width direction.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section sets the air emitting amount distribution by arranging each of the nozzles having a nozzle diameter different from each other.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section sets the air emitting amount distribution by arranging each of the nozzles having a nozzle diameter different from each other.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section sets the air emitting amount distribution by arranging each of the nozzles having a nozzle diameter different from each other.

10. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section comprises a plurality of air suppliers each supplying the air to each of a plurality of nozzle groups.

11. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section comprises a plurality of air suppliers each supplying the air to each of a plurality of nozzle groups.

12. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section comprises a plurality of air suppliers each supplying the air to each of a plurality of nozzle groups.

13. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section is capable of changing the air emitting amount distribution.

14. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section is capable of changing the air emitting amount distribution.

15. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section is capable of changing the air emitting amount distribution.

16. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section is capable of changing the air emitting amount distribution according to a size of the recording material to be used.

17. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section is capable of changing the air emitting amount distribution according to a size of the recording material to be used.

18. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the air emitting amount distribution setting section is capable of changing the air emitting amount distribution according to a size of the recording material to be used.