Image forming apparatus and fixing device

Claim 2

An image fixing apparatus, comprising: a pair of rotatable members forming a pressure-contact region having two ends; bias application means for applying a bias voltage to one of said pair of rotatable members; and guide means for guiding a recording material bearing a toner image to the pressure-contact region, wherein an end portion of said guide means in the downstream of a direction of movement of the recording material is arranged on a side of said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage with respect to a plane passing through the two ends of the pressure-contact region.

Claim 3

An image fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bias application means comprises a power supply.

Claim 4

An image fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when said one rotatable member applied with said bias voltage is in contact with an unfixed toner image, the bias voltage has the same polarity as a charging polarity of toner.

Claim 5

An image fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage applied with the bias voltage comprises a conductive base member, said base member being applied with the bias voltage.

Claim 6

An image fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end portion of said guide means in the downstream direction of the direction of movement of the recording material is arranged in proximity to said one rotatable member applied with said bias voltage.

Claim 7

An image fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide means intersects the plane.

Claim 8

An image fixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other one of said pair of rotating members is grounded.

Claim 9

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage is electrically floated.

Claim 10

An image forming apparatus comprising: an image fixing apparatus comprising: a pair of rotatable members forming a pressure-contact region having two ends, bias application means for applying a bias voltage to one of said pair of rotatable members, and guide means for guiding a recording material bearing a toner image to the pressure-contact region, wherein an end portion of said guide means in the downstream of a direction of movement of the recording material is arranged on a side of said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage with respect to a plane passing through the two ends of the pressure-contact region; an image bearing member; transfer means for transferring an unfixed toner image formed on said image bearing member to a recording material; and a recording material conveying path disposed between said transfer means and said guide means and arranged in a concave orientation with respect to the side of said one rotating member applied with the bias voltage.

Claim 11

An image forming apparatus comprising: an image fixing apparatus comprising: a pair of rotatable members forming a pressure-contact region having two ends, bias application means for applying a bias voltage to one of said pair of rotatable members, and guide means for guiding a recording material bearing a toner image to the pressure-contact region, wherein an end portion of said guide means in the downstream of a direction of movement of the recording material is arranged on a side of said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage with respect to a plane passing through the two ends of the pressure-contact region; an image bearing member; transfer means for transferring an unfixed toner image formed on said image bearing member to a recording material; and a recording material conveying path disposed between said transfer means and said guide means and arranged in a concave orientation with respect to the side of said one rotating member applied with the bias voltage.

Claim 12

An image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a distance between the pressure-contact region and the transfer region is smaller than the maximum size of the recording material.

Claim 13

An image forming apparatus for forming an unfixed toner image on a recording material, comprising, fixing means for fixing the recording material bearing the unfixed toner image, said fixing means comprising; a first rotating member having a conductive base member and a surface releasing first layer and contacting the unfixed toner image, said first rotating member defining a first longitudinal axis; a second rotating member in pressure contact with said first rotating member at a pressure contact region, said second rotating member defining a second longitudinal axis, wherein the first and second longitudinal axes of said first and second rotating members define a first plane which passes through the pressure-contact region, wherein a second plane is defined as being substantially perpendicular to the first plane and which passes through the pressure-contact region; and a power supply for applying a bias voltage to said conductive base member; and a guide unit for guiding said recording material in a guiding direction to the pressure-contact region, wherein said guide unit has first and second portions, wherein the first portion is closer to the first plane than the second portion, wherein the first portion is on the same side of the second plane as said first rotating member and wherein the guiding direction defines an angle β with respect to the second plane, such that 0°<β<90°.

Claim 14

An image forming apparatus for forming an unfixed toner image on a recording material, comprising, fixing means for fixing the recording material bearing the unfixed toner image, said fixing means comprising; a first rotating member having a conductive base member and a surface releasing first layer and contacting the unfixed toner image, said first rotating member defining a first longitudinal axis; a second rotating member in pressure contact with said first rotating member at a pressure contact region, said second rotating member defining a second longitudinal axis, wherein the first and second longitudinal axes of said first and second rotating members define a first plane which passes through the pressure-contact region, wherein a second plane is defined as being substantially perpendicular to the first plane and which passes through the pressure-contact region; and a power supply for applying a bias voltage to said conductive base member; and a guide unit for guiding said recording material in a guiding direction to the pressure-contact region, wherein said guide unit has first and second portions, wherein the first portion is closer to the first plane than the second portion, wherein the first portion is on the same side of the second plane as said first rotating member and wherein the guiding direction defines an angle β with respect to the second plane, such that 0°<β<90°.

Claim 15

An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the bias voltage has the same polarity as a charging polarity of toner.

Claim 16

An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first portion of said guide unit is arranged in proximity to said first rotating member.

Claim 17

An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a recording-material conveying path for conveying the recording material to said guide unit, the recording material being conveyed from the side of the second rotating member at the second plane to said guide unit.

Claim 18

An image forming apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: an image bearing member; and transfer means for transferring the unfixed toner image formed on said image bearing member to the recording material at a transfer region, wherein said recording material conveying path is disposed between said transfer means and said guide unit and is arranged in a convex orientation with respect to the side of said second rotating member.

Claim 19

An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a distance between the pressure-contact region and the transfer region is smaller than the maximum size of the recording material.

Claim 20

An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the value of said bias voltage is at most 1 kV.

Claim 21

An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said second rotating member is grounded.

Claim 22

An image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said second rotating member is ungrounded.

Claim 23

A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording material, comprising: a pair of rotatable members forming a pressure-contact region; and bias application means for applying a bias voltage to one of said pair of rotatable members; wherein said recording material enters the pressure-contact region after contacting with said one rotating member applied with the bias voltage.

Claim 24

A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording material, comprising: a pair of rotatable members forming a pressure-contact region; and bias application means for applying a bias voltage to one of said pair of rotatable members; wherein said recording material enters the pressure-contact region after contacting with said one rotating member applied with the bias voltage.

Claim 25

A fixing device according to claim 20, wherein said bias application means comprises a power supply.

Claim 26

A fixing device according to claim 20, wherein, when said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage is in contact with an unfixed toner image, the bias voltage has the same polarity as a charging polarity of toner.

Claim 27

An image forming apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage comprises a conductive base member, said base member being applied with the bias voltage.

Claim 28

A fixing device according to claim 20, wherein the recording-material enters to the pressure-contact region around the surface of the rotatable member applied with the bias voltage.

Claim 29

A fixing device according to claim 20, wherein said bias application means comprises an electrical power source for applying the bias voltage.

Claim 30

An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording material, comprising: an image fixing apparatus comprising: a pair of rotatable members forming a pressure-contact region having two ends, bias application means for applying a bias voltage to one of said pair of rotatable members, and guide means for guiding the recording material bearing the toner image to the pressure-contact region, wherein an end portion of said guide means in the downstream of a direction of movement of the recording material is arranged on a side of said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage with respect to a plane passing through the two ends of the pressure-contact region.

Claim 31

An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording material, comprising: an image fixing apparatus comprising: a pair of rotatable members forming a pressure-contact region having two ends, bias application means for applying a bias voltage to one of said pair of rotatable members, and guide means for guiding the recording material bearing the toner image to the pressure-contact region, wherein an end portion of said guide means in the downstream of a direction of movement of the recording material is arranged on a side of said one rotatable member applied with the bias voltage with respect to a plane passing through the two ends of the pressure-contact region.

Claim 32

An image forming device according to claim 26, wherein the end portion of said guide means in the downstream of the direction of movement of the recording material is arranged on the side of the rotatable member applied with said bias voltage than a plane including both ends of said pressure-contact region.

Claim 33

An image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein an angle formed by a line, connecting between the end of said guide means and the pressure-contact region, and the plane, is greater than 0°.

Claim 34

An image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the recording material intersects the plane and is conveyed by the rotatable member applied with said bias voltage.

Claim 35

An image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the other of said pair of rotating members is grounded.

Claim 36

An image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said rotatable member applied with the bias voltage is electrically floated.