US 12,326,678 B2
Image forming apparatus with blown-air separation of recording material from fixing member
Shutaro Saito, Tokyo (JP); Keisuke Yoshida, Chiba (JP); Yuya Yamada, Chiba (JP); Taku Ashida, Shizuoka (JP); Asuna Fukamachi, Chiba (JP); Yusuke Yamaguchi, Chiba (JP); Shohei Tsuzaki, Chiba (JP); Hiroshi Miyamoto, Saitama (JP); and Yasuharu Toratani, Chiba (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/465,888.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-166245 (JP), filed on Oct. 17, 2022; application No. 2022-166247 (JP), filed on Oct. 17, 2022; and application No. 2022-166250 (JP), filed on Oct. 17, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0126194 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 15/20 (2006.01); B65H 29/54 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/2028 (2013.01) [B65H 29/54 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a first rotatable member configured to heat a toner image formed on a recording material;
a second rotatable member configured to form a nip in contact with the first rotatable member, wherein the second rotatable member applies pressure to the recording material, on which the toner image is carried, in the nip in cooperation with the first rotatable member to fix the toner image on the recording material;
an air nozzle configured to blow air toward the recording material and the first rotatable member on a side downstream of the nip with respect to a feeding direction of the recording material; and
a pipe made of metal, configured to guide air to the air nozzle and provided to oppose the first rotatable member,
wherein the pipe includes a portion extending along a widthwise direction of the first rotatable member perpendicular to the feeding direction, and
wherein in a case that the pipe is viewed from above with respect to the vertical direction, the portion includes a region overlapping with the first rotatable member.