US 11,720,039 B2
Image forming apparatus
Takanori Kobayashi, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jul. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/859,976.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-115511 (JP), filed on Jul. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0016411 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. G03G 15/20 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/2028 (2013.01) [G03G 15/2064 (2013.01); G03G 2215/2038 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a fixing belt that is rotatable and endless;
a heating roller configured to make contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt and apply heat to the fixing belt;
a steering roller configured to make contact with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt along with the heating roller;
a pressure rotation member configured to press the fixing belt, wherein the pressure rotation member and the fixing belt are configured to form a nip portion and sandwich and convey a recording material, bearing unfixed toner, to the nip portion to fix an unfixed toner image to the recording material;
a contact-separation mechanism configured to move the pressure rotation member to a position where the pressure rotation member is in a contact state with the fixing belt and a position where the pressure rotation member is in a separated state from the fixing belt;
a belt position detection unit configured to detect a position of the fixing belt in a width direction of the fixing belt; and
a control unit configured to control swing of the steering roller such that the fixing belt is moved to a predetermined position in the width direction of the fixing belt based on a detection result of the belt position detection unit,
wherein, in continuously performing fixing on a plurality of recording materials, the control unit is configured to control the steering roller such that a distance between a center position of the fixing belt in the width direction of the fixing belt when an operation to tilt the steering roller is performed for a first time after the center position of the fixing belt is moved away from a center position of a moving range of the fixing belt and the center position of the moving range of the fixing belt is smaller in a period after a last but one recording material before the pressure rotation member enters the separated state passes through the nip portion than in a period before the recording material passes through the nip portion.