Reducing a temperature differential in a fixing device
US6339211B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 7, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jan 15, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 7, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G15/2064
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A temperature differential over a length of a fuser can result from a thermal load applied to the fuser by media having a dimension, corresponding to a longitudinal axis of the fuser, less then the length of the fuser. The temperature on regions of the surface of the fuser contacting the media is lower than on regions of the surface not contacting the media. With feedback used to control the fuser surface temperature near its center, the fuser surface temperature in regions not contacting the media can become hot enough to damage the fuser. With a heat pipe included in the fuser, heat flows from the higher temperature regions on the surface of the fuser to the lower temperature regions on the surface of the fuser, thereby reducing the peak magnitude of the fuser surface temperature and the magnitude of the temperature differential over the length of the fuser.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.