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US5177549A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Image forming apparatus supplied with controllable bias voltage

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1991-05-15
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Granted: 1993-01-05
•
Expires: 2011-05-15
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Abstract

Abstract An image fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a recording material includes a pair of rotatable members for forming a nip through which the recording material is passed; and bias voltage applying source for applying a bias voltage to at least one of the rotatable members, wherein the bias voltage is automatically changed in accordance with change of an ambient condition.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yasumasa Ohtsuka
  • 👤 Koichi Tanigawa
  • 👤 Akihiko Takeuchi
  • 👤 Hideo Nanataki
  • 👤 Hideyuki Yano
  • 👤 Takayasu Yuminamochi
  • 👤 Hiroshi Sasame
  • 👤 Hiroto Hasegawa
  • 👤 Tetsuo Saito
  • 👤 Kenji Nagata
  • 👤 Fumitaka Aoki
  • 👤 Hirokazu Ikenoue

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 11:28
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/20; G03G15/2003; G03G15/2014; G03G15/2064

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 78 words
An image fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a recording material, comprising: a rotatable fixing member for forming with a back-up rotatable member a nip through which a recording material carrying a toner image is passed to fix the toner image on the recording material; a bias voltage source for applying a bias voltage to said rotatable member; and impedance means for dividing the bias voltage and applying the divided voltage to said rotatably fixing member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 78 words
An image fixing apparatus for fixing a toner image on a recording material, comprising: a rotatable fixing member for forming with a back-up rotatable member a nip through which a recording material carrying a toner image is passed to fix the toner image on the recording material; a bias voltage source for applying a bias voltage to said rotatable member; and impedance means for dividing the bias voltage and applying the divided voltage to said rotatably fixing member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotatable member is contactable with the toner image, and has the same polarity as that of the bias voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotatable image fixing member includes an electrically conductive base and a surface parting layer thereon, and the bias voltage is applied to the conductive base.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the surface parting layer has a volume resistivity of not less than 10 11 ohm.cm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 17 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said impedance means includes a plurality of electric resistance elements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 33 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bias voltage is relatively low under a high temperature and high humidity condition, and is relatively high under a low temperature and low humidity condition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 82 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is used with an image forming apparatus comprising an image bearing member for carrying the toner image and image transfer means for electrostatically transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto the recording material, and wherein a distance between an image transfer station where said image transfer means is disposed and said image fixing apparatus is shorter than a maximum length of the recording material usable in said image forming apparatus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 22 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said transfer means includes a transfer rotatable member in contact with the image bearing member.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3877416A Cited
US3961236A Cited
US4395112A Cited
JPS5854364A Cited
JPS59180571A Cited
JPS60107071A Cited
US4609278A Cited
JPS60256175A Cited
US4949131A Cited
US4963942A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-01-05 1996-07-06 1997-01-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-01-05 2000-07-06 2001-01-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-01-05 2004-07-06 2005-01-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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